摘要：“This is not vague speculation, but historical positioning accurate to a century.” Professor Li Shuicheng from Sichuan University

New Evidence from Sanxingdui: The Pinnacle of Technology and Civilizational Code of the Late Shang Dynasty

As CT scanners penetrate the patina of the bronze standing figure, and radiocarbon dating devices fix the millennial timeline of bamboo charcoal samples, the latest findings from Sanxingdui, released by the Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, are unlocking the deep-seated code of the ancient Shu civilization during the Late Shang Dynasty. Three key discoveries—the precise dating of sacrificial pits, technological breakthroughs in bronze casting, and innovations in gold craftsmanship and painted techniques—not only fill gaps in archaeological research but also provide concrete evidence of the early context of the pluralistic unity of Chinese civilization.

I. Temporal Anchor: The Truth of Burial in the Late Shang Dynasty and Civilizational Coordinates

“This is not vague speculation, but historical positioning accurate to a century.” Professor Li Shuicheng from Sichuan University held a radiocarbon dating report that put an end to debates over the age of Sanxingdui’s sacrificial pits. By selecting short-growth-cycle bamboo charcoal samples from the pits for analysis, it was confirmed with 95.4% probability that Pits 3, 4, 6, and 8 date to 1201–1012 BCE (3,100–3,200 years ago)—exactly the Late Shang Dynasty.

More crucially, cross-pit reassembled artifacts found in Pits 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8—such as fragments of the bronze divine tree scattered across different pits—clearly prove these sacrificial pits were buried in the same period. “This is like finding a ‘time capsule’ of the ancient Shu sacrificial rituals,” emphasized Ran Honglin, director of the Sanxingdui Workstation. This discovery fills a key gap in the chronological framework of the ancient Shu civilization and provides a core reference for interpreting its evolutionary trajectory and integration into the broader Huaxia (Chinese) cultural sphere.

The significance of this temporal coordinate extends far beyond dating alone. The Late Shang Dynasty was the heyday of the Yin Ruins civilization in the Central Plains; the chronological overlap between Sanxingdui and the Yin Ruins provides irrefutable temporal evidence of cultural exchange between the two regions. From the zun (ritual wine vessel) adorned with taotie (mythical beast) patterns—similar in style to those from the second phase of the Yin Ruins—to the dragon-and-tiger zun nearly identical to an artifact unearthed in Funan, Anhui, the close connections between Sanxingdui bronzes and Shang culture in the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins have become even clearer within this precise chronological framework, serving as a vivid example of the pluralistic integration of Chinese civilization.

II. The Bronze Revolution: The Miraculous Creation of the “Core Framework-Striated Core Support” Technology

In the display case of the Sanxingdui Museum, a small bronze standing figure with a pointed hat seems ordinary at first glance, but its internal structure hides the pinnacle of wisdom of ancient Shu craftsmen. CT scans reveal dense “skeletons” inside the artifact—this is the “core framework-striated core support” technology, systematically identified for the first time in this research.

“Just like the internal brackets of temple fair lanterns, the more complex the artifact shape, the more precise the support system required,” Ran Honglin explained with a relatable analogy. This technology uses a main core framework as the center, supplemented by multi-directional striated supports to fix the position of the clay core during bronze casting, preventing the vessel walls from collapsing. For the several-meter-tall bronze divine tree, this technology made its intricate branched structure possible and solved the problem of balancing the center of gravity in large-scale artifact casting.

This technological innovation did not exist in isolation. Research shows that Sanxingdui had developed a complete technical system centered on segmented casting, combined with solid casting and forging. Professor Huo Wei from Sichuan University pointed out that its foundation originated from the mold-casting method of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties in the Central Plains, but ancient Shu craftsmen made key modifications: they disassembled complex shapes into multiple components, cast them separately, and then joined them together. This approach not only ensured the uniqueness of the artifacts’ designs but also improved the success rate of production. This combination of “adopting external technologies” and “independent innovation” allowed Sanxingdui to produce both tin-bronze ritual vessels that conformed to the Central Plains’ alloy system and fantastical creations like the bronze mask with protruding eyes.

III. Glimmer of Gold and Jade: Gold Purification, Painted Techniques, and the Ties of Civilization

Behind the over 2 kilograms of gold used in Sanxingdui’s gold artifacts lies a technology ahead of its time—the cupellation process for purification. Compositional analysis of the unearthed gold artifacts by researchers shows that the ancient Shu people had mastered the advanced technique of removing impurities from alluvial gold through high-temperature calcination, achieving an extremely high level of gold purity. The application of this technology in the Late Shang Dynasty confirms that Sanxingdui had a mature precious metal processing system and also implies the existence of a potential resource trade network with surrounding regions.

Even more stunning than the gold are the colors that lay dormant for millennia on the bronze artifacts. Previously, it was believed that painted bronze artifacts in China originated in the Warring States Period and Qin-Han dynasties, but Sanxingdui’s discoveries push this timeline back by nearly a thousand years. Research by Dr. Liu Baige, a postdoctoral fellow at the Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, shows that these bronzes used cinnabar and lacquer as raw materials to create red-and-black decorative patterns: red filled the grooved patterns on figures’ garments, black outlined the eyebrows and eyes of masks, and traces of paint still remain on the petals of the divine tree.

More importantly, this “bronze-based lacquerware” technique serves as a key link connecting Sanxingdui and the Jinsha Ruins. The Chengdu lacquer art previously thought to have originated in the Jinsha period was actually already mature during the Sanxingdui era. The combination of cinnabar and lacquer, as well as the technique of filling and painting, has been passed down consistently between the two sites, providing conclusive evidence for the continuity of the ancient Shu civilization. “This is not just the inheritance of craftsmanship, but also the continuation of aesthetics and beliefs,” Liu Baige emphasized. This technique shares the same origin as the lacquering techniques of the Central Plains, once again confirming the integration of diverse civilizations.

IV. Civilizational Transformation: The Social Landscape Behind Technological Prowess

Behind these technological achievements was a prosperous and complex ancient Shu society. Research indicates that as early as the Early Shang Dynasty, Sanxingdui had developed intensive wetland rice agriculture; by the Late Shang Dynasty, pottery production had achieved standardized manufacturing—regular shapes and uniform decorative patterns suggest large-scale craft workshops and a rigorous division of labor within social organizations.

But why did this once-flourishing civilization suddenly bury its ritual artifacts? Research by Professor Sun Hua from Peking University offers a striking hypothesis: Sanxingdui may have experienced a civil war in the Late Shang Dynasty. Signs such as damage to city walls, diversion of water systems, and the abandonment of ritual sites indicate that this internal conflict severely damaged the theocratic aristocracy. Some populations migrated elsewhere, giving rise to the Shierqiao Culture, while the sacrificial pits may have been the final ritual before the collapse of the theocratic system amid this upheaval.

Notably, to address the global challenge of preserving unearthed ivory, the cultural heritage conservation team has developed innovative technologies that enable long-term preservation of ivory in conventional environments. From the casting techniques of 3,000 years ago to today’s cultural relic protection technology, the wisdom of the past and present engages in a dialogue across time.

Conclusion: The Civilizational Gene of Pluralistic Unity

Sanxingdui’s latest discoveries are like a prism, refracting the rich layers of Chinese civilization in the Late Shang Dynasty. The precise chronological positioning places the ancient Shu civilization in an exact spot on the timeline of Chinese civilization; the “core framework-striated core support” technology demonstrates the perfect integration of Central Plains’ techniques and local innovation; and the gold purification and painted craftsmanship confirm the profound context of cultural inheritance and civilizational integration.

These discoveries eloquently prove that the ancient Shu civilization was not an isolated “alien civilization,” but an important component of the pluralistic unity of Chinese civilization. It absorbed the core technologies of the Central Plains’ bronze civilization while nurturing a unique system of art and beliefs, eventually merging into the broader river of civilization. As we gaze at the bronze masks with traces of paint and touch the hammered patterns on gold artifacts, we can discern a truth: 3,000 years ago, the craftsmen of the ancient Shu already used metal and color to inscribe the civilizational chapter of “each appreciating its own beauty, and all beauties prospering together”—a classic concept that embodies the essence of China’s pluralistic unity.

来源：闻吉