BEIJING, Dec. 11, 2024 — Archaeologist Gordon Childe advocated for comparative analysis in archaeology, highlighting its value in understanding civilizations and establishing cross-cultural connections.
While comparison is a cornerstone of archaeological study, contrasting civilizations from geographically distant and culturally diverse continents is less common.
A new documentary, co-produced by Chengdu Radio and Television, explores the similarities between China’s Sanxingdui-Jinsha civilization and Mesoamerica’s Maya civilization. Archaeological teams from China and the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region collaborated on the project.
Entitled Dialogue Crossing Thousands of Years: The Sanxingdui-Jinsha Civilization and the Maya Civilization Come Together, the series features scholarly discussion on shared beliefs, lifestyles, social structures, customs, and artistic and manufacturing techniques.
Li Xinwei, Deputy Director of the Institute of Ancient History at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, cites archaeologist Kwang-chih Chang’s “China-Maya continuum” concept, suggesting a shared ancestry despite distinct developmental paths.
The first episode examines the emergence and early development of both civilizations, including urbanization, architectural styles, and social cohesion.
Episodes two and three focus on spiritual aspects, including reverence for deities and interactions with nature. Both cultures demonstrated deep religious devotion, evidenced by dedicated spaces and ritual objects.
Mayan submerged caves, possibly used for communicating with deities, and Sanxingdui bronze vessels with religious motifs illustrate this shared practice.
The documentary presents numerous comparative artifacts, maps, and images, highlighting striking similarities, particularly in sacrificial artifacts from Sanxingdui and Mayan sites, unique to these cultures.
Li suggests the similar geographical locations, near the Tropic of Cancer, may explain shared agricultural practices, possibly aligned with lunar cycles.
Marco Antonio Santos, Director of the Chichen Itza archaeological site in Mexico, notes that both civilizations, under the same sky, sought harmonious coexistence with nature.
While the documentary emphasizes similarities, it also acknowledges differences. A comparison of Mayan ball courts with evidence of human sacrifice and Sanxingdui bronze vessels used as substitute sacrifices highlights distinct approaches to appeasing deities.
Beyond comparing ancient cultures, the series also explores modern cultural connections.
Guillermo de Anda, an archaeologist specializing in Mayan caves, highlights the value of studying such intersections, believing it enhances our self-understanding.
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SOURCE Beijing Review