San Xing Dui 三星堆

sanxingdui

Sanxingdui (sān xīng duī 三星堆), which is situated in Southwest China’s Sichuan Basin, is the location of ruins found dating back to the Bronze Age (qīng tóng shí dài 青铜时代) in the middle and late Shang Dynasty (shāng cháo 商朝) (1600BC—1046BC). The name was given for due to its appearance which resembles three earth pits. Excavation began in 1980. Two large sacrificial pits were later unearthed in 1986, generating great interest internationally.

The site of Sanxingdui, located in the city of Guanghan (guǎng hàn 广汉), 40 km from Chengdu (chéng dū 成都), Sichuan Province (sì chuān 四川), is recognized as one of the most important ancient remains in the world for its vast size, lengthy period and enriched cultural contents.

sanxingduiThe first Sanxingdui relics were discovered by a farmer in 1929 and excavation has continued ever since. During this period, generations of archaeologists have worked on the discovery and research of the Sanxingdui culture. In 1986, two major sacrificial pits were found and they aroused widespread academic attention around the world.

The Sanxingdui finds are exciting, but they remain enigmatic. No texts have been found, nor is there any mention of this culture in the records of other countries. Analysis of lead and other elements in the bronzes indicates sources similar to those of other cultures along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. At this point, however, the unique culture that produced these artifacts remains a mystery.

sanxingduiMore than a thousand priceless treasures were dug out, including bronze, jade, gold and earthen ware plus ivory and shells among other items. The bronze wares include vessels, weapons, large standing human figures, head portraits, animal figures, and even masks. This discovery demonstrated the existence of large-sized sculptures in the Shang Dynasty, which were created by ancient Shu people.

For the first time, people got a chance to peek into the highly developed bronze civilization of the Kingdom of Shu (gǔ shǔ guó 古蜀国) in the middle and later period of Shang Dynasty and its unique charms.

 
三星堆
      三星堆遗址的年代从新石器时代晚期延续到商末周初，距今4800～2800年。
      三星堆遗址内存在三种面貌不同但又连续发展的三期考古学文化，即以成都平原龙山时代至夏代遗址群为代表的一期文化，又称"宝墩文化"；以商代三星堆规模宏大的古城和高度发达的青铜文明为代表的二期文化；以商末至西周早期三星堆废弃古城时期为代表的三期文化，即成都"十二桥文化"。
      sanxingdui1929年春季的一个傍晚，农人燕道诚兄弟三人在挖蓄水沟时，意外地发现了一处宝藏。在那一两年间，广汉月亮湾挖出珍宝的消息不胫而走，古董商闻讯后蜂拥而至。燕道诚与众多玉器商人所不知的是，就在离他家不远的地下沉寂着为数更多的千年宝藏。
      直到五十七年后的1986年，这些器物的一部分才得以重见天日。
      1986年，在两个神秘的器物坑里，人们发现了大量造型怪异、美妙绝伦的青铜人头像、面具、青铜礼器及玉石器，轰动了世界，成为上个世纪最重要的考古发现之一。由于没有文字记载，三星堆文化成为一个巨大的谜团。猜想与争议从此开始。