Jinsha site

The Jinsha Site () is an archaeological site located in the Qinyang District of Chendu, the capital of China’s Sichuan Province. After its accidental discovery in February 2001 by a real-estate company constructing a highway, the Chendu Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology have been responsible for its excavation and conservation. Its features and artifacts share commonalities with the Sanxingdui site located 50 kilometers away. In 2007, the Jinsha Museum was constructed. The museum preserves features such as buildings, burial pits and kilns. It also preserves gold, ivory, bronze, stone and porcelain artifacts – this includes the kneeling stone figures, the smiling gold mask and the golden sunbird leaf. It is believed to be the capital of the Shu kingdom after the decline of the Sanxingdui civilization. The site ended abruptly between 500BCE to 200BCE – reasons speculated include earthquake, floods, and political revolution.
In 2013, History Channel Asia produced a one-hour English language documentary called ‘The Lost City at Jinsha’. It was co-produced with China International Communication Centre (CICC). Dr. Agnes Hsu, a Chinese American archaeologist, hosts the episode. The episode is part of the documentary series Mysteries of China.
The site is listed on the "UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Tentative List" and "Major Sites Protected at the National Level". Its artifacts have been claimed to be a national symbol by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. 
Discovery.
The Jinsha site was discovered by accident on 8 February 2001. The Chinese Real Estate Development Group unearthed bronze, gold, jade, stone and ivory artifacts in a drain, five kilometres northwest of the centre of Chengdu. Subsequently, the Chengdu Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology dispatched a team to investigate and secure the region. Excavation surrounding the initial ditch began on 9 February 2001.
The term ‘Jinsha Site’ was coined after 2001. It refers to the excavation sites in the Jinsha region that occupy three square kilometres – it is separated into different archaeological loci. Before 2001, the Chengdu Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology had conducted field surveys and investigations in Huangzhongcun. In Huangzhongcun, excavations were conducted in Locus Sanhe Huayuan and Locus Jindu Huayuan from 1995 to 2000. It is recognised that these archaeological loci are remnants of a large-scale civilisation in the late Shang and early Western Zhou periods. After the decline of the Sanxingdui settlement, the Jinsha Site was believed to be the capital of the Shu kingdom.
Site information.
Jinsha Site is located in east Chengdu Plains in the Chengdu Basin. It is commonly compared to the Sanxingdui settlement due to its similarities in artifacts and features. Sanxingdui is situated fourty kilometres east-west from Jinsha. Shuhan, Qinyang, Sanhuan and Qinjiang Road enclose the Jinsha Site, while the Modihe River separates the site into the north and the south side. The nature of the site is even with little fluctuations in its elevation.
Dating and cultural classification.
Pottery found in the Huangzhongcun region of the Jinsha Site has been dated to the late Shang and Western Zhou periods in pre-Qin China. An analysis of the chronology and artifacts found suggests that the Jinsha civilisation represents the Shi’erqiao Culture. Distinct features included the pointed-bottom cups, ring-foot jars and tall-necked vessel lids.
Organisation and localities.
The Jinsha Site is divided into different localities that have been identified to possess unique functions in society. The main archaeological loci include Mei Yuan, Lan Yuan, Tiyu Gongyuan and Huangzhongcun.
Mei Yuan.
At Locus Mei Yuan, 3000 cultural artifacts made of gold, bronze, jade, stone, ivory and bone were unearthed. Main findings included a pit full of Asian elephant tusks, a pit containing discs and weapons made of stone and a pit containing tusks from a variety of animals. The Institute suggests that this locality was an area of cultural and religious practice.
Lan Yuan.
At Locus Lan Yuan, excavations revealed buildings, tombs, graves, kilns, refuse pits and cellar pits. Before it became a burial site, the locality was believed to be a residential area for its people. Jade, pottery and stone artifacts were found in the tombs.
Tiyu Gongyuan.
At Locus Tiyu Gongyuan, larger palace-like structures and numerous burial pits were found concentrated together. It is thought that this was a residential area for wealthy people before it became a burial site.
Artifacts.
Noticeable artifacts found include the golden sunbird, gold mask and kneeling stone figures.
Golden leaf sunbird.
The gold artifact is circular with a 12-point sun in the middle. With a concentration of 94.2% gold, the gold leaf was made with natural gold dust followed by a series of craftsmanship. On the perimeters of the leaf, four birds flying towards the left have been carved out using advanced, precise craftsmanship. In 2005, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage stated that the artifact represented a symbol in Chinese history. The artifact is believed to represent the story written in "Classic in Mountains and Seas". In this legend, the sun was set by four birds pulling it down from the sky. It is the symbol for the Jinsha Museum and located on the second floor. The golden sunbird is believed to symbolise authority. According to Hua (2013), that the Jinsha people maintained a strong emotional connection to the sun and its worship (p. 162).
Smiling gold mask.
The gold mask appears to be smiling due to its crescent-shaped eyes and half-opened mouth. It is 3.7 centimetres in height and 4.7 centimetres in width. It is made by beating a gold sheet on a special mold. Jinsha Site is the only place where masks of this nature and style have been uncovered in China. Its small size makes archaeologist Zhangyi believe that it was bonded onto figures and sculptures instead of being put on humans.
Kneeling stone human figures.
12 human figures made of stone were discovered. These figures were kneeling with their hands tied – their hair was braided with a parting in the middle. The faces were angular with high nose bridges. The bodies were naked with no decoration or markings on them. Skilful stone craftsmanship is indicated through precise cutting, polishing, carving and hollowing found on these figures.
While these characteristics indicate the figures to represents slaves or prisoners or wars, Shi (2014) argues that the figures represented shamans, ritual performers or human sacrifices to the deities. Similar figures were found in Sanxingdui, where short hairstyle mimics the identity of shamans and ritual specialists. Along with the human figures, ritual artifacts were found – these included jade sceptres, stone tigers, stone snakes, bronze and pottery. Founded in Locus Mei Yuan, scholars believe that rituals, sacrifices, ceremonies and feasts occurred in this area. In ancient China, snakes were viewed as the intermediate species between deity and humans, while tigers were feared by the people. Those who commanded snakes and tigers were held as superior and special in status for conducting religious activities.
Features.
Noticeable features at the site include burials, buildings and the elephant tusk pit.   
Buildings.
An estimated number of 50 residential buildings were located. All buildings faced north-west or south-west. Two types of flooring were found. For smaller buildings, the floors were filled with small post-holes only. In large buildings, there was the addition of large post-holes spaced one meter apart. Walls were made using the wattle and daub method. It was constructed with mud on the inside, supported by wood or bamboo on the exterior.
Burial pits and tombs.
An estimated number of 1000 burial sites were found between Locus Lan Yuan and Locus Tiyu Gongyuan. Most burials faced south-west, but some faced north-west. Skeletons were found to be lying upwards with their hands covering their chest. Contrary to the burials found in Sanxingdui, half of the burials only contained the body. The other half had burial goods but were limited to pottery. Only in five burials were jade and bronze artifacts also found. Burial chambers were found to include either single bodies or bodies of couples.
The layout of burials did not indicate a social hierarchy in the Jinsha civilisation. Generally, where people are buried depended on their socio-economic status in society. However, the evenly spaced burials at the Jinsha Site indicated that the society was not a top-down one.
Pit filled with elephant tusks.
At Locus Mei Yuan, a pit filled with Asian elephant tusks were found in the eastern corner. The longest tusk was 150 meters long. This pit was severely disturbed by construction equipment upon unearthing. Two layers were found in the pit. The top layer was filled with brown fill, while the bottom layer was sand filled with the elephant tusks.
Conservation.
The conservation of the Jinsha Site has been through the construction of the Jinsha Museum – a museum constructed in 2007 that functions as a shelter across 6 hectares of the site. It aims to provide detailed information to tourist and conserve the site. Before its construction, no efforts were made to conserve the archaeological site. Jinsha Site is listed on "UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Tentative List" and "Major Site Protected at the National Level".
Jinsha site has been conserved through the Jinsha Museum. It was constructed in 2007 and functions as a shelter across 6 hectares of the site. Its aims are to provide detailed information to tourist on the Shu kingdom and to maintain its status as the most-preserved sacrificial remains found in China. Before its construction, no efforts were made to conserve the archaeological site. It is listed on "UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Tentative List" and "Major Site Protected at the National Level."
Conservation methods.
Conservation methods at the museum include temperature control, transparent curtain walls against ultra-violet rays and a controllable glass panel for air ventilation. Additionally, the conservation department of the Jinsha Museum is responsible for security, surveillance and general maintenance – this is an attempt to prevent vandalism and destruction by the public. The Chengdu Museum communicates scientific advancements on conservation that could be beneficial for the site.
A combined team from Jinsha Museum and Chengdu Museum implemented conservation strategies that targeted the moss and cracks forming on the site in 2007. After an analysis on the most effective biocide, the team distributed germall across the site in 2009. This removed mosses from the surface. Additionally, finely milled sand was used to fill in the cracks – this prevented them from enlarging. The difference in colour between the original surface and the sand was later evened for aesthetic purposes.
Problems with conservation.
The environment and temperature at Jinsha encourage the growth of bacteria, moss and cracks. A high concentration of illite was found in its soil which makes the site features and objects prone to cracking. There are concerns that the excavation grids and unprotected artifacts are vulnerable to sunlight, birds and wet weather. Despite the temperature control system, they remain unstable. Poor stabilisation aids the development of pathologies, harming the preservation of the Jinsha Site. Ceasing daily water sprinkling around the site has been recommended to reduce the humidity and moisture.
The collapse of the Jinsha civilisation.
Around 500BCE to 200BCE, the Jinsha settlement ended abruptly. While the reasons remain unclear, experts have proposed political revolution, catastrophic floods and earthquakes as a potential reason for its collapse. Political conflict as a reason has been criticised due to its unrealistic ability to cause an entire settlement to disappear.
Earthquake theory.
Some argue that the collapse of the Jinsha civilisation was due to a great earthquake similar in nature to the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake. An analysis of the sediment layers and radiocarbons showed that the Chengdu Plains experienced large earthquakes over the past 5000 years. These occurred in 1000-year intervals, with the dates aligning with the disappearance of the Jinsha civilisation. In addition to the destruction of the people’s residents and buildings, the secondary effects of an earthquake include floods, diseases and landslides. A change in environment would have required the remaining people at Jinsha to relocate.
Flood theory.
Others have argued that catastrophic floods led to the collapse and sudden disappearance of the Jinsha civilisation. Field studies and sediment sampling showed that sediment remains from ancient nearby rivers were transported to the site. With the high concentration of large grain sizes, it is believed that flooding occurred in the region.