Sanxingdui，a Civilization Independent from theCentral Plains
Sanxingdui Site is the ruins of the Bronze Age in the southwest part of China.The location is Nanxing Town of Guanghan，Sichuan.Around 4 kilometersaway from Guanghan，three loessial hills abruptly sit on the Sichuan plain.The name of Sanxingdui（Three Star Hills）got its name from its appearance.In the spring of1929，a peasant named Yan Daocheng found a pit of fancy jade utensils while digging ditches near his house.This led to the discovery of Sanxingdui civilization.Since 1931，sacrificial ditches were frequently discovered，with jade and bronze utensils inside.
The excavation started from 1980.The relic of a town was discovered.Research found the age of the town to be early Shang Dynasty.The length of the east wall of the town is 1，100 meters，the south wall measured to180 meters，and the west wall measured to 600 meters.All of the walls were built by hand.Later，bases of houses，ash pits，mausoleums，and sacrificial pits were discovered.The forms of the bases of houses include round，square，and rectangle.The houses were mostly wood architectures above the ground.
In 1986，two huge sacrificial pits were discovered，and many bronze wares，jade statues，ivory，shells，ceramics，and gold wares were excavated.The time of the sacrificial pits is estimated to be at the end of Shang and beginning of Zhou.The pits are the relics of Sichuan people worshipping all the gods of nature.The discovery of Sanxingduiwas dynamic news worldwide and is regarded as the“ninth miracle”on the globe.
The discovery of Sanxingdui dates the history of the country of Shu to 5，000 years ago.It was a relatively independent cultural system apart from the central area.The discovery validates the authenticity of the recordation of ancient Shu in literature.In the past，people assumed that ancient Shu is a relatively isolated place，with no attachment or little communication with the central state.However，the discovery of the Sanxingdui Site argues otherwise.Shu should have been an important prince state during the Shang and Zhou periods.Although its culture is unique，it still has the same origin with the culture of the central state.The Sanxingdui Site becomes a significant approach when we want to understand the historical and cultural development of Sichuan and even the southwest area.
Wher e did Sanxingdui cultur e com e fr om?The numerous bronze figures and animal figures don’t belong to any category of the bronze ware of the central state.
It’s inconceivable that not a word was left on the bronzewares.The excavated Sanxingdui figures don’t look like Chinese but rather like“foreigners”with high noses，big eyes，extruding cheekbones，wide mouths，big ears，and holes in the ears.The head of Sanxingdui workstation of Sichuan Cultural Relic and Archaeology Institution，Mr.Chen De’an，thinks that Sanxingdui people might have come from other continents and Sanxingdui civilization might be a“mixed civilization.”
