Jinsha site

The site was accidentally discovered on 8 February 2001. When the China Real Estate Development Group was constructing the Shufeng Huayuancheng () 5 kilometers from the centre of Chengdu, a drain was discovered. The drain contained artefacts made of bronze, jade, stone and ivory. The Chengdu Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology immediately dispatched a team to investigate and secure the area. On 9 February, excavations around the initial drain began. The term 'Jinsha site' was coined after the 2001 discovery. It refers to smaller investigation projects done since 1995 that occupied 3 square kilometres. Before 2001, the Chengdu Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology had conducted field surveys and excavations in Huangzhongcun (). Specifically, this occurred in Locus Sanhe Huayuan () and Locus Jindu Huayuan () between 1995 and 2000. It is recognised that these archaeological localities are remnants of a large-scale civilisation in the late Shang and early Western Zhou periods. == Site information ==

Jinsha is located in the East region of the Chengdu Plains. During the Bronze Age, the fluctuating environment and demands for resources caused people to change settlements. Due to its proximity and similarities in features and artefacts, Jinsha is compared to Sanxingdui. Unlike Sanxingdui, Jinsha contained no city walls or moats. Jinsha is bounded by Shuhan (), Qinyang (), Sanhuan () and Qinjiang Roads (). The Modi River divides the site into the north and south side. The site is mainly even with little fluctuations, ranging up to 5 metres. Dating and cultural classification Pottery found in Huangzhongcun dates the Jinsha settlement to the late Shang and Western Zhou dynasties. Simple jars with small bases and pointed-bottom saucers were the most common pottery found. This undecorated and plain design is distinct to the Shi'erqiao culture in this period. Other pottery found includes the pointed-bottom cups and tall-beaked vessel lids. In view of the scale and complexity of the site, Jinsha is thought to have emerged as the capital after the decline of Sanxingdui. == Organisation of the site by localities ==

(Le. 42.6 Wi. 10.43 Dp. 0.9cm) The site is divided into different localities. These have been identified to possess unique community functions. Locus Mei Yuan Cultural artefacts made of gold, bronze, jade, stone, ivory and bone were discovered at Locus Mei Yuan. Situated on the southern banks of the Modi River, the locality covers 22 hectares. Pits that contained Asian elephant tusks, stone weapons and tusks from boars, antlers and deer were found. This locality was an area where cultural, religious and social events occurred. Locus Lan Yuan Buildings, tombs, graves, kilns, refuse pits and cellar pits were found at Locus Lan Yuan. Buildings were found in the north, while burials were found in the south and west of the locality. Excavation here by the institute occurred between July 2001 and January 2002. It is situated next to Locus Mei Yuan and covers 15 hectares. Before it became a burial site, it was a residential area for the people living in Jinsha. Locus Tiyu Gongyuan Larger palace-like residential buildings and burial pits were found at Locus Tiyu Gongyuan. Excavation efforts were focused here between October and November 2001. It is next to Locus Lan Yuan and covers 9 hectares. Burial pits were the most densely populated here, with 15 burials found within 81 square metres. The locality was a residential area for the wealthier residents at Jinsha, before it became a place of burials. == Artefacts ==

The golden sun bird, smiling golden mask and kneeling stone figures were found at the Jinsha site. With the artefacts being made of diverse materials, craft production was advanced and resourceful. With a concentration of 94.2% gold, the gold leaf was made with natural gold dust. On the perimeters of the leaf, four birds flying towards the left have been carved out. It was believed to represent the legend in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. The design makes it appear to be 'smiling'. It is 3.7 centimetres in height and 4.7 centimetres in width. This design has not been found anywhere else in China. Its thin mould was made by beating sheets of gold. The mask was used for religious worship and prayers when it was bonded onto figures. For the people at Jinsha, the mask was an avenue to connect with deities. == Features ==

The discovered features found at Jinsha include residential buildings, burials, pits and pottery kilns. Based on this combination, Jinsha was a large urban centre. Ordinary life involved social, religious and cultural elements. A pit filled with elephant tusks At Locus Mei Yuan, Asian elephant tusks were found in the eastern corner. The pit was 160 centimetres in length and 60 centimetres in width. It was severely disturbed by construction equipment during excavations. There were two layers to the pit. The top layer was filled with dirt, while the bottom layer was sand filled with elephant tusks. The longest tusk was 150 centimeters long. These were evenly placed in 8 layers. Within this rounded pit, bronze and jade artefacts were found. Buildings All 50 buildings found faced north-west or south-west. For smaller buildings, the floors were filled with small post-holes only. For large buildings, large post-holes (spaced 1 meter apart) were added. The walls were made using the wattle and daub method. It was constructed with mud on the inside and supported by wood or bamboo on the outside. Kilns 200 pottery kilns have been discovered near burial pits in Lan Yuan, Sanhe Huayuan and Jindu Huayuan. People mainly used pottery for ordinary and religious activities. Each kiln had 4 components: a surface, fire chamber, kiln door and kiln chamber. It was oval with an area of 4 square metres. Pottery production was prominent at Jinsha as kilns were also discovered in buildings. The concentration of kilns in certain areas reflects the proximity between crafters. This allowed uniformity in pottery production. Burial pits and tombs At Locus Lan Yuan and Locus Tiyu Gongyuan, 300 burial pits were found. They mostly faced south-west, but some faced north-west. Skeletons were found to be lying upwards with their hands covering the chest. Contrary to the burials found in Sanxingdui, half only contained the body. The other half had burial goods but were limited to pottery. Only in five burials were jade and bronze artefacts 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. The even distribution indicates that the society was not organised in a top-down manner. == Conservation ==

The Jinsha Museum has played the central role in the site's conservation 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, mosses and cracks. A high concentration of illite was found in its soil, which makes the site's features and objects prone to cracking. There are concerns that the excavation grids and unprotected artefacts are vulnerable to sunlight, birds and wet weather. Despite the temperature control system, it remains unstable. Poor stabilisation aids the development of pathologies. Ceasing daily water sprinkling around the site has been recommended to reduce the humidity and moisture. == The disappearance of the Jinsha settlement ==

Around 500 BCE to 200 BCE, the Jinsha settlement ended abruptly. While the reasons remain unclear, experts have proposed political revolution, catastrophic floods and earthquakes as possibilities. Of these, the political conflict hypothesis has been criticised due to its unrealistic ability to cause an entire settlement to disappear. Earthquake hypothesis Sediment and radiocarbon analyses show that the Chengdu Plains experienced a number of large earthquakes over the past 5,000 years, with one occurring roughly every 1,000 years. One such earthquake, given its estimated timing, may have caused the disappearance of the Jinsha civilisation. It may have been similar in nature to the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, which also occurred in the same geographical region. Not only could an earthquake have destroyed buildings (including homes), it could have also led to secondary natural disasters (such as floods and landslides), or rendered the surviving population more vulnerable to disease outbreaks. Such drastic environment and ecological changes could have necessitated a complete relocation. Flood hypothesis Field studies and sediment sampling show that sediment remains from ancient nearby rivers had been transported to the site. Within these sediment remains, there is a high concentration of relatively large grains, which is evidence for the occurrence of floods in the region. Therefore, it is plausible that one particularly destructive flood could have caused the collapse and sudden disappearance of the Jinsha civilisation. The flood and earthquake hypotheses are not mutually exclusive, as earthquakes may induce floods. == Images ==

File:Jinsha Bronze Head.jpg| Bronze head at Jinsha Site Museum File:Golden Artifacts in Jinsha Site Museum.JPG | Golden Artifacts in Jinsha Site Museum File:2014 Jinsha Gold Mask a.jpg| Gold mask File:Jinsha Oct 2007 444.jpg | Tiger found in the ritual site ==See also==