Differentiation of Ritual Practices through Bronze Artifact Analysis at Sanxingdui Site, Southwest China

This article offers a novel interpretation of material remains to differentiate transcendent from non-transcendent rituals at Sanxingdui, a Bronze Age archaeological site in southwest China. This study establishes a five-element framework of ritual components (i.e., recipients, performers, assistants, offerings, furnishings) and highlights the representations of ritual recipients, assistants, and furnishings as key differentiators of inter-world communication in ritual contexts. By analyzing bronze artifacts from the Sanxingdui ritual pits that have been discovered and published so far, the research identifies two distinct artifact assemblages and their roles in ritual practices, categorizing them into transcendent and non-transcendent forms. The differing levels of investment in these ritual types provide insight into the emphasis on ritual at Sanxingdui.