5 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

3,400-Year-Old Jade and Stone Workshop Site Discovered at Sanxingdui Ruins

Archaeologists have uncovered a jade and stone processing site that dates back over 3,400 years at the Sanxingdui Ruins in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province.

The Sanxingdui Ruins, located in the Sichuan Province of southwest China’s city of Guanghan, were found in the late 1920s and are considered one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century worldwide.

The new finds offer vital insights into the origins of various precious cultural relics and highlight the remarkable achievements of ancient Chinese civilization.

Blanks, waste, fragments, and completed products are among the recently discovered artifacts at the site, providing proof of a comparatively full early handicraft production chain. Initial analyses indicate that the location was a workshop for stone and jade.

Located approximately one kilometer north of the previously unearthed sacrificial pits, this latest discovery marks significant progress in the archaeological excavation at Sanxingdui, the Provincial Cultural Relics, and Archaeology Research Institute said, noting that the archaeologists have preliminarily identified this site as a jade and stone production workshop.

This is the first time a handicraft workshop has been discovered at Sanxingdui. The new findings will help archaeologists verify the sources of raw materials for Sanxingdui’s jade and stone artifacts and address questions about the functional layout of the ancient city.

This photo taken shows jade ware discovered at the Sanxingdui Ruins site in Guanghan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province. Photo: Xinhua/Tang Wenhao
This photo taken shows jade ware discovered at the Sanxingdui Ruins site in Guanghan City, southwest China’s Sichuan Province. Photo: Xinhua/Tang Wenhao

“The discovery of the workshop sheds light on several mysteries, such as the origins of the large quantities of jade and stone raw materials found at Sanxingdui, the techniques used in their crafting, the production processes, and the distribution methods involved,” said Ran Honglin, who is in charge of the archaeological work at Sanxingdui Ruins site, under the research institute.

 Researchers also said it marks an important step in Sanxingdui archaeological research.

“The archaeological discoveries and research into the layout and planning of the Sanxingdui ancient city highlight the wisdom of ancient residents, underscoring the depth and enduring legacy of the ancient Chinese civilization,” said Sun Hua, a professor from the School of Archaeology and Museology at Peking University.

Lei Yu, curator of Sanxingdui Museum, believes that large cities from the Shang Dynasty (1600 B.C.-1046 B.C.) often had concentrated areas for handicraft workshops, similar to modern industrial zones. “Following these clues, it may be possible to locate additional workshops for bronze-making, gold-making and more.”

Covering an area of 12 square km, the ruins are believed to be the remnants of the Shu Kingdom, dating back some 4,500 to 3,000 years.

Archaeologists believe that the core area of the ruins is a carefully planned ancient city, surrounded by tall city walls, with an area of approximately 3.6 square km. This belief is based on the recently confirmed city gates, water gates, and roads, as well as on earlier discoveries of the sacrificial and palace areas.

At Sanxingdui, more than 60,000 cultural artifacts have been found to date. Since its opening almost a year ago, the new Sanxingdui Museum has drawn over 5 million visitors from all over the world.

Cover Photo: Xinhua

Related Articles

Unveiling a Roman Settlement Beyond the Empire: New Discoveries in Delbrück-Bentfeld, Germany

6 April 2025

6 April 2025

Recent archaeological excavations in Delbrück-Bentfeld, located in northwestern Germany, have revealed significant evidence of a Roman settlement that existed beyond...

A metal detectorist unearthed a Roman silver “ligula” or “Toilet Spoon” in Wales

30 January 2024

30 January 2024

A metal detectorist in Wales unearthed a Roman silver “ligula”, commonly known as a “toilet spoon”. The discovery, made in...

In Cyprus, an important early Christian site has been discovered

12 September 2021

12 September 2021

An important Christian settlement was discovered with mosaics bearing clear inscriptions in Greek during the excavations carried out by the...

Ancient fish processing factories were discovered in ancient Roman city of Balsa, Portugal

18 July 2022

18 July 2022

In the Roman city of Balsa, one of the most important and symbolic archaeological sites in southern Portugal, archaeologists have...

Early Roman Aqueduct Discovered in Turkey’s Aydın Province

27 May 2021

27 May 2021

In the Kuşadasi region of western Turkey’s Aydin, archaeologists and scholars unearthed an approximately 2,000-year-old ancient Roman aqueduct. Experts believe...

A Lynx Buried with Four Big Dogs in an Ancient Roman Well in Hungary

17 April 2024

17 April 2024

Archaeologists have discovered the skeleton of an adult male lynx accompanied by four big dogs in a Roman-era pit in...

A rare Byzantine gold coin discovered in Norway, probably brought from Constantinople

9 December 2023

9 December 2023

A metal detectorist exploring the mountains in the municipality of Vestre Slidre in southern Norway discovered a rare histamenon nomisma...

Spectacular gold find from early medieval tombs in Basel

28 November 2022

28 November 2022

An excavation in Basel’s Kleinbasel neighborhood, Switzerland, has uncovered 15 graves, some richly furnished, from an early medieval burial ground....

An unexpected discovery in Pompeii: A Roman Tomb Reveals the Existence of an Unknown Imperial Position in Hispania

17 July 2024

17 July 2024

Work to create a functional air chamber to evacuate moisture from the underground spaces of the San Paolino building, the...

2,000-year-old unique luxury Roman villa with “underfloor heating” found in Germany

3 November 2022

3 November 2022

A luxury Roman villa with a thermal bath and underfloor heating has been unearthed in Kempten, Bavaria, one of the...

Unique work of Minoan art, the Pylos Combat Agate must be the David of the Prehistoric era

21 November 2021

21 November 2021

Found in a Greek tomb dating back 3,500 years, the artifact is so well designed that it looks as lively...

Smoke archeology finds evidence Humans visited Nerja Cave for 40,000 Years

26 April 2023

26 April 2023

A new study by a team from the University of Córdoba reveals that Nerja is the European cave with the...

A Mysterious Chapel Discovered in Istanbul Bagcılar

3 August 2023

3 August 2023

While Istanbul continues to surprise with the richness of its historical heritage, this time a chapel was discovered in Bağcılar....

Archaeologists have discovered a large-sized 4,000-Year-Old steppe pyramid of the Bronze Age in Kazakhstan

10 August 2023

10 August 2023

Archaeologists of L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University discovered a massive Bronze Age steppe pyramid associated with a horse cult...

Statue of Roman Emperor Hadrianus found in western Turkey

14 September 2021

14 September 2021

Excavations in the ancient city of Alabanda in the western province of Aydin have uncovered pieces of the statue of...