2026-05-20
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Chinese archaeologists have uncovered a meteoritic iron artefact in the number seven sacrificial pit.
At the legendary Sangxingdui ruins site,
shedding new light on the early use of iron in southwest
China and reshaping modern understanding of the ancient Shu civilization's Bronze Age technology.
The research carried out by a team from Sichuan University.
And the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics
and Archaeology Research Institute marks the earliest known use of meteoritic iron in southwest China.
The findings have recently been published in the journal Archaeological Research in Asia.
Covering an area of 12 square kilometers,
the Sangsingdui ruins are believed to be the remnants of the ancient Shu kingdom,
dating back 4,500 to 3,000 years.
The story of this artifact begins in 2021 within the site's number 7 sacrificial pit.
Archaeologists spotted a long object standing vertically at the bottom of the pit,
measuring approximately 20 centimetres in length and between 5.27 to 7.9 centimetres in width.
The object was severely corroded and initially resembled an axe or halberd.