ARCHAEOLOGISTS at the legendary Sanxingdui Ruins site have uncovered a jade and stone artifact processing site dating back over 3,400 years, revealing the source of the previously discovered cultural relics here. Located about 1 km north of the previously unearthed sacrificial pits, this latest discovery marks significant progress in the archaeological excavation at Sanxingdui in Sichuan Province, the provincial cultural relics and archaeology research institute said yesterday, noting that the archaeologists have preliminarily identified this site as a jade and stone production workshop. The newly found artifacts include raw jade and stone materials, waste materials, fragments and finished pieces, suggesting a relatively complete chain of handicrafts. “The discovery of the workshop sheds light on several mysteries, such as the origins of the large quantities of jade and stone raw materials found at Sanxingdui, the techniques used in their crafting, the production processes, and the distribution methods involved,” said Ran Honglin, who is in charge of the archaeological work at Sanxingdui Ruins site, under the research institute. (Xinhua) | 