On June 5, the archaeological work at the Yan family courtyard of the Sanxingdui Ruins site reached a phased conclusion. Excavations at the site have uncovered both a jade-and-stoneware workshop and an artificially constructed earthen platform exceeding 6,000 square meters. It is speculated that the latest possible date for its usage falls within the mid-Shang dynasty. Concurrently, systematic investigations are underway targeting the city gates, water gates, and transportation network of the Sanxingdui Ancient City.

In July 2023, when General Secretary Xi Jinping inspected the new exhibition hall of the Sanxingdui Museum, he stressed that the archaeological achievements of Sanxingdui are world-renowned, demonstrating the fruits of a civilization more than 4,000 years ago. They also provide more convincing archaeological evidence for the integration of Chinese civilization as well as the mutual influence of the ancient Shu civilization and the Central Plains civilization. Xi also put forward requirements for the protection and restoration of cultural relics. Over the past two years, Sanxingdui has achieved multidimensional advancements in such areas as archaeological excavation, heritage conservation, academic research, and cultural outreach. These accomplishments keep unveiling the ancient mysteries of Sanxingdui and simultaneously elevate its cultural renown.

New Discoveries in Yan Family Courtyard: Artificial Earthen Platform and Large-scale House Foundation

In 2021, the archaeological findings from six newly discovered sacrificial pits at the Sanxingdui Ruins were successively announced. More than 17,000 cataloged cultural relics made Sanxingdui "astonish the world once again". Despite these remarkable discoveries, several research gaps persist, including unclear waterborne and terrestrial transportation networks in the Sanxingdui city, imprecise functional zoning of settlements, limited publication of data from archaeological excavations, and an unsound multidisciplinary research system. Numerous secrets of Sanxingdui are yet to be uncovered. Qiao Gang, Deputy Head of the Sanxingdui Site Workstation of the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute, outlined the archaeological progress at the site over the past two years. Archaeologists have conducted excavations at the Zhenwu Palace and Yan family courtyard locations in the eastern Moon Bay small city of Sanxingdui. They've also systematically explored the Cangbaobao small town in the site's east and the platform in the south. A large water network, the East Water Gate, and the Northeast Water Gate of the Sanxingdui ancient city site were found. The first jade-and-stoneware workshop at the site was identified, and artificial earthen platforms and large-scale building foundations were newly confirmed. These discoveries have substantially clarified the urban planning of the Sanxingdui ancient city.

According to research findings, the water system of the Sanxingdui ancient city originated outside the northwest of Cangbaobao small town before flowing into the large city. The East Water Gate lies at the middle-section breach of the large city's eastern wall, approximately 20 meters in width and a maximum depth of 1.15 meters. The Northeast Water Gate is located at the water outlet where the moat of Cangbaobao flows eastward out of the eastern city wall, about 30 meters wide.

The jade-and-stoneware workshop was identified at the Zhenwu Palace location. Archaeologists found here concentrated piles of stones, pits for blanks, waste-material accumulations, and pits for finished stone axes, among others. These remnants can roughly piece together the general process of jade and stoneware production at the Sanxingdui site. Dating results indicate that this workshop was active between 1550 BCE and 1250 BCE. Ongoing excavations have yielded over 4,000 artifacts, including ritual jade figurines, ceremonial zhang blades, and turquoise beads.

As excavations progressed, archaeologists uncovered an additional artificially constructed earthen platform at the Yan family courtyard. "The earth platform was built using a sloping-pile technique, consistent with the eastern wall of Moon Bay," explained Qiao Gang. Notably, preliminary analysis suggests the platform at Yan family courtyard is a multi-tiered structure, with its uppermost level featuring the foundation of a large building exceeding 200 square meters, possibly surrounded by a peripheral corridor, Qiao added. So far, over 90 square meters of the largest single room in this building's foundation have been exposed. The foundation trenches were filled with pottery slab-shaped objects. Evidently, most were fired and inserted upright into the trenches, perhaps representing an alternative wall-construction technique distinct from the traditional timber-framed mud walls.

As archaeological work progresses, experts and scholars are also conducting in-depth research on many academic issues surrounding Sanxingdui, such as craft production techniques and material sourcing, resource control and utilization, paleoclimate and paleoenvironment, sacrificial ritual scenes and their connotations. A person in charge of the Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology stated that in the future, with the progress of archaeological work and research, they strive to, by 2027, pinpoint the precise locations of the palace area and other parts of the ancient city, discern the ethnic and hierarchical makeup of the people living in the ancient town, and obtain a basic understanding of the mortuary practices, burial traditions, sacrificial activities, and ritual systems at the Sanxingdui site.

Nearly 1,000 Artifacts Slated for Conservation in August

At the Cultural Relics Protection and Restoration Center of the Sanxingdui Museum, visitors can not only view newly exhibited artifacts but also watch conservators at work, observing the entire relic-cleaning process through viewing windows. "The Sanxingdui Museum has launched a new artifact conservation initiative, with plans to complete the cleaning and preservation of approximately 1,000 artifacts by August's end, after which they will be progressively exhibited," stated Yu Jian, Deputy Curator of the Sanxingdui Museum.

Cultural heritage conservation has seen steady progress in the last two years. Backed by the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the Sanxingdui Museum and the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute have rallied 16 heritage institutions nationwide to conduct collaborative work at the Sanxingdui site. "To date, over 4,000 artifacts have undergone conservation and restoration in the project's first phase. The second phase, launched in May, will focus on cleaning and restoring more than 300 bronzewares and select gold items while implementing specialized preservation measures for over 600 ivory artifacts." Yu Jian said that in the first phase, significant progress in ivory protection stood out. "The excavated ivory from Sanxingdui features exceptionally high moisture content and extreme antiquity - even slight mishandling could lead to rapid deterioration. In order to ensure their preservation, all excavated ivory pieces were immediately transferred to specialized 'artifact refrigeration units' upon excavation. In the past two years, the research team has been analyzing what causes ivory degradation and has successfully developed strengthening and surface-sealing materials. The ivory artifacts can now be displayed in climate-controlled environments maintained at 22 degrees Celsius—a remarkable advancement in ivory protection."

Talent is key to the conservation and restoration of cultural relics. In 2024, the "Guo Hanzhong National Master Artisan Studio" was established to cultivate professionals in bronzeware restoration techniques. Craftsman studios for different categories, such as goldware and jadeware, will also come into operation, cultivating more talents for the conservation and restoration of Sanxingdui cultural relics. The Sanxingdui cultural relics conservation and restoration team currently comprises 15 members, according to Yu Jian.

Sustaining Sanxingdui's cultural renown and articulating the integration of Chinese civilization remain central to the site's mission. Domestically, Sanxingdui Museum continues to pioneer innovative exhibitions. In its Interactive Experience Hall, visitors can utilize digital installations to "time-travel" back to the ancient state of Shu, immersing themselves in the daily lives and production activities of the ancestors of Sanxingdui. In its global outreach, Sanxingdui leverages artifact replicas and digital technologies to consistently enhance China's cultural profile abroad. In November last year, "Light of the Sun: A Dialogue Between Ancient Shu and Inca Civilizations" was held in Peru. In June this year, "The Light of the Sun: Ancient Shu Civilization and the World" exhibition was launched at the United Nations Headquarters. The "Animist Civilization of Ancient Shu: Sanxingdui and Jinsha Culture" and the "Sanxingdui Encounter: Global Tour of 12K Micro Viewing of National Treasures" have been held successively in Paris, Qatar, and New York.