On September 27, the 2025 Sanxingdui Forum was held in Deyang. The Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology released the latest multidisciplinary research results of the Sanxingdui site, further clarifying the burial date of the sacrificial pit.The unique “core bone-striped core support” technology in bronze casting is released for the first timeet al. provide strong evidence for revealing the diversity and integration of Chinese civilization.
The issue of the era of the Sanxingdui sacrificial pit has always been the focus of attention of academic circles and the public. Ran Honglin, director of the Sanxingdui Site Work Station of the Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, introduced that after joint research by the Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and Peking University, through the Carbon 14th Year, the probability of the burial period of the No. 3, Fourth, Six and Eight sacrificial pits has a 95.4% chance of being buried between 1201 BC and 1012 BC, which is equivalent to the late Shang Dynasty. The objects of cross-pit splicing found in pits 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8 are very important in determining the age and nature of the sacrificial pits, further confirming that these sacrificial pits were buried at the same time. This achievement provides an important basis for clarifying the age of the sacrificial pit and building the framework of the fine age of the site. “The precise era of obtaining the sacrificial pit fills the gap in ancient Shu civilization, which is also crucial for us to further understand the evolution process and the process of Chineseization of ancient Shu civilization.” Ran Honglin said.
The jade, bronze and other cultural relics unearthed from Sanxingdui have become vivid witnesses of the diversity and integration of Chinese civilization because they present similar characteristics to the Central Plains civilization and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. So, what is the casting technology of Sanxingdui bronze ware?At the forum, the “core bone-striped core support” technology was announced for the first time, revealing the puzzle of casting technology of large bronzes.
According to joint research by Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Palace Museum, Beijing University of Science and Technology and Joseph Needham Institute in Cambridge, UK, it is shown thatIn the late Shang Dynasty, Sanxingdui bronzes formed an innovative casting technology system with divided casting as the core and both mould casting and forging, effectively solving the molding problem of slender and curved objects.“A small erect man with a pointed hat was found in Pit No. 3, and he was CT scanned.It was found that there was obvious support inside it, which proved the technology of “core bone-striped core”.“Ran Honglin said.
In the existing technical framework, Sanxingdui shows unique technological innovation and localized expression. This achievement not only deepens the overall understanding of the ancient Chinese bronze casting system, but also provides new evidence for revealing the diverse and integrated pattern of Chinese civilization and the mechanism of world bronze technology and cultural exchange.
The forum also released the latest research results in many aspects such as gold making technology, bronze painting technology, pottery production standardization, rice cultivation methods, ivory protection technology, etc.
Deyang Media Reporter | Qiu Jie and Liu Qianwen Xiao
Editor | Li Han