An unusual iron object discovered at the famous Sanxingdui archaeological site in China has turned out to be made from meteoritic iron, a new study shows. Researchers say the object, uncovered inside a pit, is now considered the largest Bronze Age meteoritic iron artifact ever identified in China.
The research, published in Archaeological Research in Asia, was led by Dr. Haichao Liand focuses on an axe-like object found in Pit No. 7 at Sanxingdui. Beyond its unusual composition, the artifact is drawing interest because it may reflect a different metalworking tradition from the one documented in northern China during the Bronze Age.
Located in Guanghan in China’s Sichuan Province, the Sanxingdui site dates from around 2800 to 600 BCE and is linked to the Shang Dynasty period. The site is especially known for its striking bronze masks, bronze trees, and ceremonial sculptures unlike those found elsewhere in ancient China.
The meteoritic iron object was excavated alongside other ceremonial artifacts in one of those pits. Researchers describe it as an axe-like tool or weapon measuring just over 20 centimeters long. The object is fragile and survives today in three fragments.
The Iron Was Traced Back to Meteorites
To determine the nature of the metal, researchers carried out metallographic analysis along with SEM-EDS testing, a method used to examine metallic composition at microscopic scale.
The study reports that the artifact contains highly homogeneous nickel-iron and shows little evidence of heavy cold-working after shaping. Researchers noted that producing metal with such uniform chemistry would have been extremely difficult using known Late Shang Dynasty smelting technologies.
That finding led the team to conclude that the material most likely originated from a meteorite. Co-author Dr. Zishu Yangexplained that the current analysis still cannot determine the exact type of meteorite used to forge the object.
“While the SEM-EDS results provide preliminary insights, they are insufficient to definitively classify the specific type of meteorite,” Yang said in comments included in the study.
The team plans to continue the investigation using more advanced analytical techniques to narrow down the meteorite source and compare it with known meteorite falls in the region.
Only A Few Meteoritic Iron Artifacts Are Known In China
Meteoritic iron artifacts remain extremely rare across China. Researchers identifiedonly 13 confirmed examples so far. Most of these discoveries come from northern regions such as Henan, Hebei, and Beijing, while a smaller number were uncovered in Hubei and Sichuan. The oldest known example is a knife from the Narensu cemetery in Xinjiang dated to around 3000 BCE.
The researchers also pointed out that the Xinjiang knife and the Sanxingdui object are currently the only two monometallic artifacts made entirely from meteoritic iron in China. Other known examples from the Central Plains combine bronze with meteoritic iron inserts in toolsor weapons often associated with elite burials.
For the authors of the study, this difference suggests that southwestern China may have followed metallurgical practices distinct from those of the Central Plains during the Bronze Age.
A Possible Ritual Object
Even though the artifact resembles a weapon or practical tool, archaeologists believe it may have carried stronger symbolic value. That interpretation comes largely from its discovery inside the Sanxingdui sacrificial area, where most excavated objects are linked to ritual activities rather than everyday use.
Dr. Yang noted that rare metals in ancient China likely held both practical and ceremonial significance because metal objects themselves were scarce at the time. As he added:
“In the broader context of ancient China, we believe cultural and practical considerations likely coexisted. Early metal was scarce and imbued with sacred significance; after large-scale production, its use became increasingly pragmatic. Due to the extreme rarity of meteoritic iron artifacts, it remains difficult to determine which factor predominated nationwide.”
Researchers say the artifact may have served a ceremonial role rather than a practical one. Ongoing excavations at Sanxingdui could reveal how it was used within the ritual complex.
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