Bronze masks and maskoids from the sacrificial pits of Sanxingdui

This article presents a brief review of the most specific feature of Sanxingdui Bronze Age culture, spread in Sichuan province of the PRC – bronze masks, found in sacrificial pits. The lines of the possible evolution of those bronze masks are outlined in the article and reconstructions of the ways of their everyday use as the details of the interior of ancient temples are given. According to the authors’ opinion the technological evolution of those bronze masks from Sanxingdui sacrificial pits can be divided into three stages. Stage I is represented by bronze mask from the first sacrificial pit (JK1) and types D and B bronze masks from the second sacrificial pit (JK2). Stage II is represented by types C and A bronze masks from the pit JK2. Stage III is represented by large zoo-anthropomorphic masks with multiple bizarre bronze details from the second sacrificial pit (JK2). The authors state that bronze masks of C type were used in combination with zun and lei bronze vessels from the same sacrificial pit JK2 as parts of huge anthropomorphic sculptures (with wooden core). Flat bronze maskoids from the second sacrificial pit (JK2) were originally details of carved (?) or painted figures of human-bird, placed on the walls of ancient temple at Sanxingdui.