Sacrificial pits of the Sanxingdui culture (evidence of excavations in 2021-2022)

This article follows the publication of2021 presenting the latest information on the Sanxingdui culture. Excavations of several pits, usually associated with sacrificial rituals, continued at the fortified settlement in 2022. Judging by the level of publications on the finds, they are considered to be of a great national importance. Achievements of archaeologists demonstrate successful implementation of objectives formulated in speeches of President Xi Jinping in 2020. In this case, political interests completely coincide with scholarly importance. The Sanxingdui site once again demonstrates world-class finds. Main archaeological works were focused on pits No. 7 and No. 8, containing hundreds of items made of bronze, jade, gold, as well as elephant tusks. The most remarkable discoveries of bronze items included a small altar, figurine of “dragon with pig nose,” snake-like creature between two vessels, winged beast with toothy mouth, and other exceptional finds. The abundance of teriomorphic creatures and numerous bronze heads and masks is impressive and may indicate a connection to the lower, chtonic world. The chronology of the sacrificial complexes is based on 200 radiocarbon dates which compactly correspond to the chronological interval from 1131 to 1012 BC. Close connections between the Sanxingdui and Yin fortified settlements (middle and late stages), and probable connection with the early Zhou culture have been observed. The reasons why Sanxingdui sacrificial site stopped functioning remain debatable. One of possible explanations links this fact with major earthquake and subsequent landslide which changed the course ofmain rivers on the Chengdu Plain. Bronze images ofvarious spirits and gods might have been damaged and buried in pits as a punishment, since they failed to protect the community which revered them from fatal impact of nature.