Sanxingdui Cultural Relics

Located at the city of Guanghan, 40 km from Chengdu, it is recognized as the most important ancient remains of the Sichuan region for its vast size, long lasting period and rich cultural heritages.

The Sanxingdui finds were first discovered by a farmer in 1929 when he dig a ditch in his field. Since then more than 10,000 relics, some of which date back 3,000 to 5,000 years, have been unearthed. The excavations have yielded what are considered some of the most significant archaeological discoveries in China last century. But up to now they remain a mystery as no texts have been found about it, nor is there any mention of this culture in the records of other states, either during or after the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1100 B. C.).

Archaeologists believe the Sanxingdui Ruins, located on the upper reach of the Yangtze River, were home to a few settlements with distinctive cultural features. Jade ware with unique characteristics and made using relatively advanced technology was discovered on the site, suggesting that one of the earliest settlements to live in the area about 3,700 to 5,000 years ago interacted with the groups living on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

The people who made splendid bronze ware in Sanxingdui some 3,000 years ago created a dominant power in the Ancient Shu Kingdom. That did not live in isolation, but had extensive relationship with central and eastern part of the country. The Sanxingdui Ruins serve as convincing proof that the origins of Chinese civilization are divers. Before the excavation of Sanxingdui, it was believed that Sichuan had a history of about 3,000 years. It is now generally recognized that civilized culture appeared in Sichuan about 5,000 years ago.

Through the future excavations, archaeologists expect to solve such mysteries as where are raw material for the bronze came from and when and why the civilization disappeared.

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