An unknown kingdom of artisans
In 1929, a farmer digging a well in Sichuan province, China, unearthed a large collection of jade relics. This was the first hint of a lost Bronze Age civilization now known as Sanxingdui. Major excavations in 1986 revealed two sacrificial pits filled with thousands of artifacts that had been ritually broken, burned, and then carefully buried around the 12th-11th centuries BCE. From 2019 to 2022, an additional six pits were discovered, yielding more than 13,000 new objects including gold masks, bronze altars, jade tools, and ivory carvings.
The people of Sanxingdui were master bronze casters, but their artistic style is unlike any other from the same period in China. They developed a method of adding lead to the copper and tin mixture, creating a stronger alloy capable of forming massive objects. The most impressive finds include a bronze standing figure measuring 262 centimeters tall and a "spirit tree" that stands 396 centimeters high. The walled city of Sanxingdui was a major metropolis, covering an area of 3.6 square kilometers. No written language from this culture has ever been found, leaving their beliefs and identity a deep mystery. ## The faces of Sanxingdui
The most famous artifacts are the bronze masks, which range from small to enormous. The largest, discovered in 2021, measures 131 centimeters wide and 71 centimeters tall. These masks were not worn; they represent something else entirely. They share distinct features: angular faces, straight noses, and immense, stylized ears. Many have almond-shaped eyes, while others feature cylindrical pupils that protrude up to 16 centimeters. One theory suggests these protruding eyes are a representation of Cancong, the semi-legendary first king of the ancient Shu kingdom, who was described as having this feature.
Traces of black and red pigments on the masks suggest they were once painted. Some of the bronze heads were also covered with thin gold foil masks; one such mask is made of 84% pure gold. The purpose of the pits and the ritual destruction of these valuable objects is still debated. Theories for the culture's abrupt disappearance from the archaeological record around 1000 BCE include an earthquake that diverted the city's water source to internal conflict that led to a mass exodus.