A bronze beast unearthed from the Sanxingdui Ruins in 2021 sits on display for the first time on May 18 in Yibin, Southwest China’s Sichuan province. The Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute unveiled more findings from the Sanxingdui Ruins on Monday. Photo: VCG

Archaeologists unearth a bronze altar from the No. 8 sacrificial pit on June 1. They confirmed that the sacrificial area covers nearly 13,000 square meters of the ruins, 1,834 square meters of which have been excavated. Photo: Wang Qin/ Hongxing News, VCG

A bronze relic featuring a turtle back pattern is unveiled during Monday’s press conference. From 2020 to May, archaeologists have unearthed nearly 13,000 cultural relics in six sacrificial pits, including 3,155 well-preserved ones. Photo: Wang Qin/Hongxing News, VCG

An archaeologist holds a bronze head statue that was unearthed from the No. 3 sacrificial pit at the Sanxingdui Ruins in November 2021 in Deyang, Sichuan. Photo: VCG

An archaeologist records data of a bronze statue unearthed from the No. 3 sacrificial pit in Deyang in November 2021. Photo: VCG

An archaeologist moves a bronze jar that was found in the No. 3 sacrificial pit in November 2021. Photo: VCG

An archaeologist holds a jade “cong” with a sacred tree pattern on it in Deyang in November 2021. This ritual object was unearthed from the No. 3 sacrificial pit. Photo: VCG

An archaeologist does restoration work on a relic in Guanghan, Sichuan, in December 2021. Photo: VCG

Archaeologists take photos in a pit in September 2021. They used radiocarbon dating for nearly 200 unearthed pieces to confirm that pits No. 3, 4, 7 and 8 are from the late Shang Dynasty, which took place about 3,200 to 3,000 years ago. Photo: VCG

A bronze alter is set for display at the Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, Sichuan, on March 18. Photo: VCG

Two bronze figures on display in the Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan on March 18. Photo: Wang Huan/Hongxing News, VCG

A bronze statue on display at the Sichuan Museum in September 2021. Photo: VCG

Jade Dagger-axes discovered from the No. 2 sacrificial pit sit on display in the Sanxingdui Museum in 2015. Photo: VCG