Archaeology talk by Professor Changping Zhang from Wuhan University, currently visiting fellow at Cambridge University.
In 1986 and 2019-2023, two and six sacrificial pits were excavated successively at the Sanxingdui site in the Chengdu Plain, the upper Yangtze River in China. A large number of bronze figures, human heads, human masks and other figures, as well as other bronze, gold, and jade objects were unearthed, for which the date is equivalent to the late Shang Dynasty. The types and shapes of these objects have never been seen before, and they are believed to be used for sacrifices. This lecture attempts to assess the sacrificial scene by analyzing these figures and other personal images through their appearance, size, and posture, and to reveal the background of why Sanxingdui culture is prosperous.
Refreshments will be provided and there will be time for Q&A and discussion with Professor Zhang after the talk. This talk is free to attend and open to all. Online advance registration is recommended.
- Hosted by
- Confucius Institute
- Venue
- The Sir Duncan Rice Library
- Booking
- Online booking available