Chinese archaeologists have uncovered a meteoritic iron artifact in the No. 7 sacrificial pit at the legendary Sanxingdui Ruins site, shedding new light on the early use of iron in southwest China and reshaping modern understanding of the ancient Shu civilization's Bronze Age technology.

The research, carried out by a team from Sichuan University and the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute, marks the earliest known use of meteoritic iron in southwest China. The findings have recently been published in the journal Archaeological Research in Asia.

Covering an area of 12 square kilometers, the Sanxingdui Ruins are believed to be the remnants of the ancient Shu Kingdom, dating back 4,500 to 3,000 years.

The story of this artifact begins in 2021 within the site's No. 7 sacrificial pit. Archaeologists spotted a long object standing vertically at the bottom of the pit. Measuring approximately 20.05 centimeters in length and between 5.27 to 7.90 centimeters in width, the object was severely corroded and initially resembled an axe or halberd.

Given its fragile condition, the team opted for a block excavation, carefully cutting out the artifact along with the surrounding soil to ensure its safe transfer to a laboratory for conservation and further study.

Advanced technical analysis later confirmed the "mysterious object" to be a meteoritic iron product. This relic is now recognized as the earliest meteoritic iron artifact ever discovered in southwest China and currently the largest of its kind known from the Chinese Bronze Age.

"The application of iron marks a significant transformation in human productivity," said Li Haichao, a professor from the school of archaeology at Sichuan University. "While this is not a man-made iron product, it demonstrates the recognition and utilization of iron by the ancient inhabitants of southwest China."

Unlike the bronze-iron composite tools commonly found in the Central Plains region, this newly discovered object is composed purely of meteoritic iron, highlighting a distinct and unique metallurgical tradition. While the object is too fragmented to determine a precise function, experts speculate it may have served as a tool, weapon, or ritual ceremonial object.

According to Li, this discovery carries profound academic value. Historically, most meteoritic iron artifacts in China have been concentrated in the northern regions. The Sanxingdui find fills a critical gap in the archaeological record of the southwest region, proving that 3,000 years ago, the ancestors of the ancient Shu civilization possessed the sophisticated ability to identify and process meteoritic iron.

"This reshapes the academic community's traditional understanding of the technological level of the ancient Shu civilization and the pattern of cross-regional cultural and technological exchange during the Bronze Age," he said.

Discovered in the late 1920s in Guanghan, Sichuan Province, the Sanxingdui Ruins are considered one of the world's most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.