Ancient jade workshop discovered in Sanxingdui ruins

Another extraordinary revelation has emerged from the legendary site of the Sanxingdui Ruins in Deyang, Sichuan Province. According to the Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeologywhat appears to be an ancient jade workshop has recently been unearthed.

Between 2022 and 2024, archaeologists discovered remains related to the production and processing of jade artifacts at the Sanxingdui site.

Experts have preliminarily identified the findings as a jade workshop dating back to the middle Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), approximately 3,500 to 3,400 years ago, predating the burial period of the famous Sanxingdui sacrificial pits.

At the site, more than 400 significant features were revealed, including foundations of high-level buildings, ash pits, ditches and stone processing sites. The excavation resulted in the recovery of more than 4,000 artefacts, including pottery, jade and stone tools.

This discovery marks the first time that a craft workshop has been found at the Sanxingdui site. The new materials provide crucial evidence about the sources of jade and stone used at the ancient archaeological site, and offer insights into the functional layout of the ancient city. This important breakthrough enriches the understanding of the ancient Shu Kingdom civilization and its complex craft production.