Sanxingdui: 13,000 artifacts including bronze masks unearthed in 1986. Discovered in 1986 by construction workers in Guanghan: Two sacrificial pits contained hundreds of artifacts 13,000 artifacts total unearthed
The Sanxingdui site in Guanghan: two sacrificial pits with 13,000 artifacts—giant 4.5ft bronze mask, 9ft statue, 1,200 bronze objects, 543 gold & 565 jade items. Dated 3,000-5,000 years old, deliberately broken & burned before burial. This Sichuan site reveals an advanced civilization predating the Shang Dynasty.
Key Facts
- Discovered in 1986 by construction workers in Guanghan:
- Two sacrificial pits contained hundreds of artifacts
- 13,000 artifacts total unearthed
- 1,200 bronze objects, 543 gold artifacts, 565 jade items
- Artifacts include bronze masks, statues, and sacrificial altar
- Giant bronze mask measures 4.5 feet wide and 2.5 feet tall
- Bronze statue stands approximately 9 feet tall (2.7 meters)
- Dated to between 3,000-5,000 years ago
- Artifacts deliberately broken and burned before burial
Related site: Sanxingdui — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: Gigantic Ancient Megastructures in China Built By Unknown Civilization by Universe Inside You