Chinese archaeologists confirmed on June 16 that a recently unearthed bronze sculpture at the famed Sanxingdui Ruins site was successfully matched with another bronzeware part after being set apart about 3,000 years ago. The sophisticated bronze sculpture depicts a figure of a human head and snake body, with protruding eyes, tusks, and horns. Above the head is a cinnabar trumpet-shaped “Zun” (an ancient wine vessel) and the figure is linked by its hands and a square pedestal “Urn-shaped Lei” (an ancient wine vessel.) Without the rear part of the body, the sculpture was recently excavated from the No. 8 sacrificial pit. Archaeologists later found that another bronzeware part, which was unearthed from the No. 2 pit in 1986, can perfectly match with the figure’s lost body part. The incomplete part wears a tight skirt with cloud patterns and has strong legs with bird claws that step on two birds. Archaeologists speculate that the human-head, snake-body, and bird-claw figure should be a divinity statue.

“Its overall shape is very beautiful, with complex casting technology. The discovery and excavation of this artifact is decisive to identifying the connection between No. 2 pit and No. 8 pit,” Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute Researcher Lei Yu said about the sculpture.