New findings at Sanxingdui Ruins redefines history of colorful bronze wares by nearly a millennium

【CMHnews】New archaeological findings at the Sanxingdui Ruins in southwest China's Sichuan Province have uncovered a vast collection of painted bronze artifacts, pushing back the origins of such craftsmanship in China by nearly a millennium.

Photo shows a 10-meter-tall bronze giant statue displayed in Beijing, Aug. 9, 2025. (Photo/China News Service)

    The findings were announced at the 2025 Sanxingdui Forum held on Saturday in Deyang City of Sichuan by the Sichuan provincial cultural relics and archaeology research institute.

About 3,000 years ago, Sanxingdui artisans cast alloys of copper, tin, and lead in specific proportions to create giant sacred trees, colossal masks, and imposing deities for worshipping heaven and earth, or communicating with the universe.

    Newly released research findings revealed that these highly creative and imaginative bronze artifacts were adorned with vibrant colors over their golden surfaces.

    The newly discovered colors include black and red. Black was typically applied to depict the eyebrows, eyes, and hair of bronze figures and masks, as well as to paint special patterns and symbols, while red was used for the petals of bronze sacred trees, the intricate grooves of bronze vessels, and on the clothing of figures.

    These painted designs have been found on hundreds of bronze figures, mythical beasts, dragon heads, and other artifacts, some of which are even visible to the naked eye.

    Liu Baige, who works for the Sichuan provincial cultural relics and archaeology research institute, said it was previously believed that painted bronze artifacts in China were mostly seen during the Warring States Period (475 B.C.-221 B.C.), Qin (221 B.C.-207 B.C.) and Han (202 BC-8 AD) dynasties.

    "The discovery, in large quantities, and with exquisite craftsmanship and natural materials from Sanxingdui, has pushed back the timeline for their emergence in China by nearly a thousand years," said Liu.

    The pigments used at Sanxingdui were derived from natural materials such as raw lacquer and cinnabar. Employing techniques like coating, outlining, painting, and filling, they fully demonstrate the exceptional craftsmanship of the ancient people and fill a gap in the artistic history of painting during China's Bronze Age, according to the research institute.

    Discovered in the late 1920s in Guanghan, Sichuan Province, the Sanxingdui Ruins are considered one of the world's most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.

    Spanning 12 square kilometers, the Sanxingdui Ruins are believed to be the remnants of the Shu Kingdom, dating back 4,500 to 3,000 years.

By Zhang Dongfang

Reposting from ECNS.Cn