Bronze Anthropomorphic Figurines from the Sacrificial Pits of Sanxingdui

Abstract

This work gives a description of bronze figurines from the second sacrificial pit of Sanxingdui and their classification according to the affinity to different categories of ritual bronzes whose details they initially were. The classification helped to attribute small anthropomorphic images to one of the, earlier isolated by the author, stages of the technological evolution of Sanxingdui art of bronze casting from the JK2 sacrificial pit. Therefore, the chronologically meaningful typology of bronze figurines from the second sacrificial pit was constructed. As a result, the following groups of figurines were isolated: 1) figurines sitting at the roots of the “spirit trees”, 2) figurines that were details of the so-called “sacred altar” (“altar of spirits”), 3) figurines holding two-horned flat sceptres in their hands, 4) figurines kneeling on pedestals. Figurines sitting at the roots of the “spirit trees” belong to the first and second stages of the technological evolution of bronzes from the JK2 sacrificial pit. The sets of three figurines sitting at the roots of the “spirit trees” no. 2 and no. 3 represent in each case only one personage, so it can be seen from every side of the tree. All the figurines from the “sacred altar” must be dated to the third stage of the technological evolution of bronzes from JK2 like the artifact being discussed. Analogies to figurines from the “sacred altar” can be found among jades from the urn burials of Xiaojiawuji cemetery belonging to the late Neolithic Shijiahe culture of Hubei province. Bronze figurines also give an opportunity to reconstruct garments of the ancient inhabitants of Sanxingdui.