A Treasure Chest of 13,000 Artifacts Reveals the Mysterious Chinese Civilization

The Sanxingdui civilization thrived for hundreds of years in what is now southwest China, producing intricate bronze masks and valuable products until abruptly disappearing about 1100 or 1200 B.C.E.

The culture, which was thought to be part of the larger Shu empire, continues to amaze more than 3,000 years after its extinction.

A wealth of 13,000 items uncovered at the Sanxingdui Ruins site over the past two years, according to state-run news agency Xinhua, is ready to reveal new insights into the secretive Bronze Age civilization.

According to China Daily's Wang Kaihao, the cache included 1,238 bronze items, 543 gold artifacts, and 565 jade pieces, which were discovered in six sacrifice holes.

Newly found Chinese artifacts

(Photo : Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

A bronze altar and a dragon with a pig's nose are among the artefacts uncovered in sacrificial pits, shedding new light on the ancient Chinese civilization's buried secrets.

As per the team overseeing the excavation and the state-run Xinhua news agency, archaeologists reported a "major" sequence of discovery at the Sanxingdui ruins in China's southern Sichuan province on Monday.

Given its unusual shape, exquisite craftsmanship, and innovative design, it would not be an exaggeration to state that the vessel is one of a kind.

Xinhua quoted Li Haichao, a professor at Sichuan University who is in charge of the excavation at pit 7, as saying, "We don't know what this vessel was used for, but we may presume that ancient people cherished it," as per Yahoo News.

The pits' function and application are debatable.

Some interpret the trenches to be a form of burial, but without human remains; the corpse may have been turned to ash as a consequence of a ritual burning event, according to Chen Shen in a 2002 book.

Burnt ivory bits were discovered in one trench, and the presence of ash, which archaeologists believed is the residue of wood and plant stuff used as fuel, has led scientists to believe that boxes were put in the holes to be burned.

More intricate bronze work was discovered in pit 8, featuring heads with gold masks, an altar, and a dragon with a pig's nose.

A serpent with a human head, bulging eyes, tusks, and horns is shown in a three-part sculpture. The top of the head resembles an old wine jar in the shape of a trumpet.

Excavators unearthed enormous copper masks with exaggerated facial characteristics among the tall statues.

According to the Saxingdui Museum, the masks have numerous fundamental traits, including knife-shaped eyebrows, projecting eyes in a triangular form, huge stretched ears, snub nose, and fine lips.

Experts believed the masks were made to honor the founders' ancestors or gods.

According to CNN reporter Kathleen Magramo, no written records or human remains related with the Sanxingdui exist today.

Scholars agree that the civilization was part of the Shu dynasty, which flourished in the Chengdu Plain until it was defeated by the state of Qin in 316 B.C.E.

Also Read: Remnants of Old Stone Age Culture Discovered in an Architectural Site in China

Shu kingdom of the Han Dynasty

After the Han Dynasty fell, the Kingdom of Shu (221-263) was one of the Three Kingdoms vying for control of China (206BC-AD220), as per China Culture.

During the Han Dynasty's fall, Liu Bei, a distant relative of the Han Emperor, ruled over the province around Shu.

Cao Pi of the Wei crowned himself the future Han Emperor and ruler of China after seizing the imperial throne in 220.

As a result, the Shu Kingdom is also known as the Shu-Han Kingdom. Despite the fact that Liu is credited with founding the Shu-Han Dynasty, he never claimed to be the founder of a new one.

Liu launched a failed invasion against the Kingdom of Wu in 222 and died a year later from sickness.

Liu launched a failed invasion against the Kingdom of Wu in 222 and died a year later from sickness. Liu Chan, his successor, was uninterested in governing and left his kingdom in the hands of his officials.

Because he had a greater objective - the Kingdom of Wei - the Shu's prime minister, Zhuge Liang, whose name is synonymous with wisdom in China, made peace with Wu.

During his seventh effort to capture Wei, he died of illness. His replacement, Jiang Wei, similarly failed.

It was Wei's turn to attack Shu in 263. The kingdom was captured when Jiang was killed. The Wei Emperor made Liu Chan Duke of Comfort after capturing him at Luoyang.