In 1934, Mr. David Crockett Graham, director of the West China Union University Museum of Antiquities (the predecessor of the Sichuan University Museum), initiated the first scientific archaeological excavation of the Sanxingdui site, marking the beginning of scientific archaeology in southwestern China and leaving an indelible mark in the history of Chinese archaeology.

In 1986, the sacrificial pits No. 1 and No. 2 of Sanxingdui were discovered, and Sanxingdui “awakened to captivate the whole world”! The unprecedented Bronze Standing Figure, Bronze Tree, and Bronze Mask stunned the world, elevating Sanxingdui to the status of a world-renowned archaeological site.

Since 2020, 6 new sacrificial pits have emerged in Sanxingdui, with artifacts of national treasure status, such as the Gold Mask, Turtle Back Shaped Reticular Artifact, and Bronze Altar providing a new perspective for gaining insights into Sanxingdui.

Over the past 90 years, our archaeological predecessors have consistently risen to challenges and young generations have continued to make breakthroughs. As a result, Sanxingdui has repeatedly awakened, leaving the world in awe with each new discovery.

In commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the excavation of Sanxingdui, the International Academic Seminar on “Sanxingdui in Bronze Age Eurasia: Retrospect and Prospects after 90 Years”, hosted by Sichuan University and co-organized by the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archeology Research Institute as well as the Sanxingdui Museum, is successfully held from December 13th to 17th. The event aims at promoting further advancements in Sanxingdui research from an international perspective through reflecting on the past while looking toward future developments.

The seminar spans 2 days, and it is reported that 22 scholars from countries including China, the United States, France, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, and Canada will conduct in-depth sharing and discussions on a series of topics such as Sanxingdui’s technology, art, resources, and belief systems.

During the opening ceremony, a Book Launch of “Essays on the 90th Anniversary of the Sanxingdui Excavation” was also held. This work is divided into two volumes, with the first volume providing a comprehensive compilation of the archaeological data obtained from the Sanxingdui scientific excavation in 1934. Additionally, the second volume is a carefully selected collection of representative expositions on the archaeology of Sanxingdui and the study of ancient history of Bashu.

The holding of this seminar will play a critical role in both systematically reviewing the achievements of previous Sanxingdui research and exploring new directions in Sanxingdui research from an international perspective.