Research on the Bronze Artifacts Excavated from the Two Sacrificial Pits at Sanxingdui Site

Among the several objects discovered in the two pits at Sanxingdui site, the bronze artifacts are of special importance. By comparing the assemblage of artifacts in both pits, the author shows that the objects types are similar, but there are differences among objects belonging to the same type. This article demonstrates that these differences are voluntary, and analyses their meanings. The Bronze Age culture represented by the bronze artifacts from the two Sanxingdui pits has its own characteristics and is clearly different from the contemporary Shang culture of the Central Plains.