1 . Scientists have uncovered a series of 3,000-year-old items at Sanxingdui in China’s Sichuan province since 2019 and identified that the creators belonged to the Shu state, a highly developed civilization united by the neighboring state of Qin in 316 BC.
One of the major finds is a 0. 6-pound gold mask that may have been worn by a churchman during religious ceremonies. About 84% pure gold, the whole piece likely weighed close to one pound in its entirety, making it one of the heaviest gold masks from that time period discovered in China to date.
Other discoveries made at the site included two kinds of silk. Silk has played an important role in China’s history. As the researchers point out, the ancient people of Sanxingdui probably wore silk clothes during religious ceremonies. The silk was thought to serve as a means of communication between heaven, earth, man and god. Besides these religious ceremonies, silk was also used to make fine clothing, fans and wall hangings. Civilizations across the ancient world, from Rome, Persia, Egypt to Greece, similarly treasured Chinese silk. Traders were sent along the Silk Road to China to obtain the highly sought-after material. The presence of silk at Sanxingdui indicates that the ancient Shu state was one of the important origins of silk in ancient China.
Other important discoveries included bronze animals and carvings that bear distinct similarities to objects found along the Yangtze River and in Southeast Asia, suggesting that the Shu civilization engaged in broad exchanges with many areas.
Since 1929 when a local farmer accidentally found Sanxingdui, researchers have uncovered more than 50,000 ancient items at the site. For example, more than 1,000 items, including well-kept bronze masks, were unearthed in 1986 alone.
1. What can we say about the gold mask found at Sanxingdui?| A．It is not made of pure gold. | B．It is the heaviest ever uncovered. |
| C．It weighs close to one pound. | D．It might be used during festivals. |
| A．The Shu people used silk just for decoration. |
| B．The Shu people brought silk to the other countries. |
| C．The Shu state was far more developed than Europe. |
| D．The Shu state might be one of the earliest silk producers. |
| A．The discoverer of Sanxingdui. | B．The timeline of the discoveries at Sanxingdui. |
| C．The long history of Sanxingdui. | D．The achievements of Sanxingdui unearthing. |
| A．To promote an attraction in Sichuan province. | B．To report the important discoveries at Sanxingdui. |
| C．To explore the relationship between Shu and Qin. | D．To evaluate the ancient civilizations in the world. |
The remains of an incomplete gold mask was among the 3,000-year-old items found at Sanxingdui, an archaeological site in Guanghan, Sichuan Province.
A large number of ancient artifacts
Items found at the site have helped scientists learn more about Sanxingdui and
