In the known No. 1 and No. 2 pits of Sanxingdui, archaeologists have unearthed as many as 57 bronze ancient heads, of which 4 are wearing gold masks, such bronze shapes are completely different from the traditional impression of the Central Plains bronze and bronze figures, which inevitably causes experts to speculate.
With the continuous advancement of the archaeological process of Sanxingdui, these excavated bronze people also play an important role in unveiling the mystery of Sanxingdui and approaching the real world of the ancient Shu people of Sanxingdui, at this time everyone can't help but ask, what is the origin of these bronze people with different shapes and strange shapes, and what is the identity?
Image: Screenshot of the excavated gold bronze head data
"Special" discoveries from the Sanxingdui site
1, the number is huge and the shape is weird
According to relevant information, there are more than 100 human statues in the No. 1 and No. 2 pits of Sanxingdui, of which 57 are bronze human heads similar to our human appearance.
One of the most famous and representative bronze human heads, from the appearance of the eyes like almonds standing upright, garlic nose, lips closed, smiling, the whole face looks very full and round, this is sanxingdui of all the bronze human heads with the most modern realistic style.
Experts believe that this image is very close to the record of witches in the ancient Shu kingdom in the history books, and Mr. Lei Yu, the leader of the archaeological team, also said: Using the image of people as an expression of bronze is itself contrary to our Central Plains bronze civilization and tradition, but it is a unique strength in Sanxingdui.
Image: Screenshot of Sanxingdui's most realistic style human avatar profile
In addition to a large number of bronze people, the most special is the 4 bronze figures wearing gold masks, which are different from the above-mentioned witch bronze people, the whole image looks cold and abnormal, but under the background of the gold mask, there is a sense of brilliance.
After research and analysis, experts found that the material of these gold masks is not gold, but a kind of gold skin formed by continuous pounding on the basis of gold nuggets, and finally shaped according to the human head, the mask as a whole looks flush with the upper and forehead, the lower part is wrapped around the jaw, and the left and right sides are covered with ears.
In addition, the ear part has also been perforated, the eyes, eyebrows appear hollowed out, in the mask and portrait of the fit is mainly the use of raw lacquer with lime made of adhesive, so that the gold mask is perfectly glued to the bronze head, experts also said that these people wearing gold masks should have a very special identity and status.
Image: Screenshot of the restored bronze head of the gold mask found in Sanxingdui
2. Restore the value of cultural relics to different civilizations
Experts from the Sichuan Archaeological Research Institute believe that these bronze human heads were not originally like this, at least they also have a body made of wood, because these heads represent different times, the production process and the style presented are different, and these bronze human heads will certainly not be made in large quantities at one time, but will be added little by little in subsequent sacrifice activities.
When everyone is accustomed to seeing a variety of bronze utensils from the Central Plains, and then look at these bronze figures unearthed in Sanxingdui, the shock is very huge, most people are unheard of, these precious cultural relics put people, gods very well connected together, and casting presented, which is also one of the important significance of the archaeological work of sanxingdui sites, it shows the world a new social life.
It should also be said here that in everyone's conventional cognition, it seems that in ancient times, all feudal dynasties, whether unified or in the midst of division, seemed to have been influenced by Chinese civilization, so everyone was the same in various etiquette, systems, social customs, and living habits.
In fact, this is a big misunderstanding of everyone, in ancient times the continent is vast, different regions in different periods have appeared in different periods of ancient civilization different from the Central Plains culture, and the emergence of sanxingdui site undoubtedly proves this, with the continuous deepening of archaeological excavation work, I believe that many discoveries are enough to subvert our traditional understanding of history, for which we must wait and see.
Image: Screenshot of bronze data waiting to be unearthed
Second, the identity of precious cultural relics and the special culture displayed
1. Perfectly restore the scene of ancient Shu people's sacrifice
In addition to the above-mentioned bronze human heads, in the latest round of Sanxingdui archaeological work, many rare cultural relics with strange shapes have been found, and their appearance is also important for explaining the ancient culture of Sanxingdui.
For example, there is a 15.6 cm tall Statue of Dingzun kneeling, once unearthed, it immediately attracted the attention of experts from all walks of life, this cultural relic may become the key to experts to deduce the ancient Sanxingdui Ancient Shu people in the sacrifice of related scenes, why say so? This also starts from all aspects of cultural relics.
This portrait is very distinctive, and the shape is completely different from other bronze human heads, its base looks far away like a hill, the upper body of the portrait is naked, the lower body is only wearing a simple skirt, the hands are raised over the head, and there is a bronze statue above the head, what is the scene of the ancient Shu people?
Experts speculate that the witches of the ancient Shu kingdom are carrying out sacrifices on the top of the mountain, after all, whether they are honored or not, they were all tools used for sacrifice in ancient times, but the use of sacrifices has many interpretations.
The appearance of this kneeling figure undoubtedly solves a problem that has plagued experts for many years, that is, how the Sanxingdui ancient Shu people sacrificed in the era, and what was the specific form of their sacrifice, this time finally let the truth surface.
Image: Screenshot of Dingzun kneeling portrait data
2, strong enough influence
The staff of the Sichuan Archaeological Research Institute also introduced that among the many cultural relics excavated, the largest and tallest bronze figure was 2.6 meters high, and after research, it was found that this image was likely to be a high priest among the ancient Shu people, and in the historical data, such people were also called "the chief of the group of witches".
The reason for this image is most likely that he was standing on a very high platform, waving something in his hand, and then the other people began to work together in their respective jobs to complete important sacrifices.
Image: Screenshot of the Bronze Portrait of the High Priest
The venue of this ceremony is likely to be in a wide square, or it may be on the observatory of ancient people, in short, these cultural relics excavated from the Sanxingdui site accurately restore a scene of ancient Shu sacrifice for everyone, which occupies a very high position in the history of Chinese archaeology, cultural history, and historical documents.
Article author: Dahui
The entire graphic was produced by the team of the Big Cafe Say History Studio!