Archaeologists are impressed by the amount of gold and its historical significance. A group of archaeologists in south-western China has made a discovery that is attracting worldwide attention. Near Sanxingdui, a site already famous for its ancient relics, an ancient workshop has been discovered that could transform our knowledge of a mysterious civilisation. What appeared to be a simple search for precious stones turned out to be a window into a past full of sophistication, wealth and secrets yet to be deciphered.
A hidden workshop that challenges what we know
In Sichuan province, a team of archaeologists found a workshop over 3,000 years old that left the scientific community speechless. It was found a few metres from the Sanxingdui sacrificial pits, known for their ritual artefacts and bronze sculptures. But what emerged from this new excavation exceeded expectations.
The site houses the remains of an industrial complex that was surprisingly advanced for its time. Tools were found in large quantities, along with furnaces, ash pits, and pieces of jade and gold in different stages of production. These elements indicate that this was not a makeshift space, but a highly developed centre of craft production.
This discovery was not the result of conventional archaeological research. Initially, the goal was to locate sources of precious stones in the region, but what emerged was tangible evidence of the manufacturing power of the ancient Shu Kingdom, a civilisation that still remains shrouded in mystery.
The hidden treasure of the Shu Kingdom
The Sichuan Provincial Institute of Archaeological Research and Cultural Relics confirmed that the workshop was used to store materials, smelt metals, and carve jade. Among the most relevant findings are:
- Thousands of tools used for craftsmanship
- Fragments of precious metals, such as gold
- Remains of jade carved in various stages of production
- Perfectly organised foundations and work structures
All of this reveals that the Shu Kingdom not only had artistic skills, but also technological ones. This level of organisation and technique is unusual for a society that lived more than 3,000 years ago and completely changes the perception that was held about its productive capacity.
To date, more than 60,000 relics have been recovered at the site, according to official data from the Chinese Consulate. This makes the excavation one of the most important on the Asian continent, not only for its volume, but also for its historical value.
New clues about a forgotten civilisation
One of the most surprising aspects of the discovery is that it confirms something that until now had been a matter of debate: many of the pieces found in Sanxingdui were not imported, as previously believed, but manufactured locally. This was stated by Ran Honglin, head of the excavation, who explained that the existence of this workshop demonstrates that the Shu Kingdom had a sophisticated internal production network.
This reinforces the theory that this ancient civilisation not only had a rich spiritual and artistic life, but also advanced knowledge of metallurgy, architecture and luxury manufacturing. The evidence indicates that they mastered casting and sculpting techniques that, in some cases, could be compared to those of much more studied cultures, such as Egyptian or Mesopotamian.
For archaeologists, this discovery positions Sanxingdui as a cultural and technological epicentre of the ancient world and the Shu Kingdom as a key player in Asian history. In the modern context, it also represents an opportunity to rediscover an ancestral identity that has remained buried for millennia.
This discovery not only brings new insights into the history of China, but also challenges our ideas about the development of ancient civilisations. The Sanxingdui workshop is much more than a set of tools: it is a gateway to a golden past, as enigmatic as it is fascinating, which we are only beginning to understand.
