The Many Faces of the Kingdom of Shu
Recent excavations at Sanxingdui in Sichuan have uncovered over 17,000 bronze artifacts, revealing the Kingdom of Shu's unique contributions to Bronze Age culture and suggesting complex ritualistic practices.
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Recent excavations at the Sanxingdui site in Sichuan Province, China, have unveiled thousands of bronze artifacts that shed light on the Kingdom of Shu, a once-mythical dynasty. Initially thought to be peripheral to the major dynasties of Shang and Zhou, the Kingdom of Shu is now recognized for its unique contributions to Bronze Age culture. The site, discovered in 1927, has revealed a wealth of artifacts, including bronze masks, jade items, and ceremonial vessels, many of which were deliberately broken and buried, suggesting a complex ritualistic significance. Recent excavations have uncovered six additional pits, yielding over 17,000 artifacts, including a striking eight-foot-tall bronze figure believed to represent a priest. The artistry of Sanxingdui differs markedly from that of the Shang Dynasty, featuring imaginative designs and hybrid creatures. Researchers have also noted that the burial of these artifacts was likely a planned act of reverence rather than a hasty response to invasion. The ongoing analysis of these findings aims to deepen the understanding of the cultural and historical context of the Kingdom of Shu, revealing a civilization rich in creativity and complexity.
- Excavations at Sanxingdui have revealed thousands of artifacts from the Kingdom of Shu.
- The site challenges previous notions of Sichuan's peripheral role in early Chinese history.
- Artifacts include unique bronze masks and figures, indicating a distinct artistic tradition.
- Recent discoveries suggest the burial of artifacts was a deliberate ritual rather than a response to chaos.
- Ongoing research aims to uncover the cultural significance of these findings.
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4 comments- invented silk (and Shu brocade)
- birthplace of Taoism
- invented Baijiu (aka Kaoliang liquor, strong distilled from great millet)
- invented banknotes
- home of the Giant Pandas
And I dont really get why transatlantic contacts would have been absolutely impossible.
I did a lot of research but it's really a fringe theory. I found stuff with regards to dna repartition, etc. But nothing important.
And it's not a common meme around conspiracy theorists.
So I am mostly alone there :D
Does anyone see the point too?
Or am I really alone to see something of a relation between Shu and Maya outside of the dominant paradigm :)
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