On the left of this combo photo (from top to bottom) are an ancient wine vessel unearthed from No. 2 sacrificial pit in 1986, a statue of a kneeling man from the No. 3 pit, and a bronze mythical creature from No. 8 sacrificial pit excavated in recent years. A 3D printed model on the right shows the combination of the three parts. Both the original parts and the 3D printed model are on display at the new building of the Sanxingdui Museum. /CGTN
A combo photo shows how bronzeware parts unearthed from different pits of the Sanxingdui Ruins (left) can be joined together. The combination is shown in a 3D printed model on the right of the photo. Both the original parts and the 3D printed model are on display at the new building of the Sanxingdui Museum. /CGTN
A combo photo shows how bronzeware parts unearthed from different pits of the Sanxingdui Ruins (left) can be joined together. The combination is shown in a 3D printed model on the right of the photo. Both the original parts and the 3D printed model are on display at the new building of the Sanxingdui Museum. /CGTN
Archaeologists have found that some bronzeware parts unearthed from the Sanxingdui Ruins can be perfectly matched with some other parts excavated from different pits over the past few decades.
Thanks to the use of modern technology such as 3D scanning and printing, many scattered parts have been reunited after thousands of years apart.
The magical combinations, although recreated as 3D printed models to keep the original fragments safe, show the imagination and creativity of ancient people, stunning visitors to the new building of the Sanxingdui Museum which began trial operations on July 27.
The Sanxingdui Ruins are believed to be the remnants of the Shu Kingdom, which dates back some 3,000 to 4,500 years.
Covering an area of 12 square kilometers, the ruins were accidentally discovered by a farmer in the 1920s. Since then, over 50,000 individual relics have been unearthed from the site, where excavation work still continues.