Chinese archeologists will explore uncharted areas within the Sanxingdui and Jinsha ruins over the next three years, according to plans for the second phase of the Ancient Shu civilization conservation and inheritance project announced Monday.
The Jinsha ruins, together with the Sanxingdui ruins, are peaks of ancient Shu culture and represent the two most glorious periods of the ancient Shu Kingdom that suddenly disappeared about 2,000 years ago.
Currently, the archaeological team has largely mapped out the layout of both the Sanxingdui and Jinsha ruins. Among their findings are a sacrificial pit, a jade and stone "workshop," and various research disciplines, including studies on silk and the preservation of elephant tusks.
Archaeological team members shared information from their latest investigations at the Jinsha ruins.
"We plan to carry out archaeological exploration in the northeast and southwest areas of the site to figure out the cultural features and river systems there and their relationship to the layout of the Jinsha ruins. This will provide new material for further comprehensive research," said Wan Zhenkui, director of the Exploration Department at the Chengdu Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.
The team has also narrowed the scope of the "workshop" area at the Sanxingdui ruins through continued investigation.
"After years of archaeological exploration, we have uncovered numerous scraps, semi-finished and finished jade wares, fired clay, and suspected crucible-shaped objects. We now believe this area was likely one of the 'workshops' of the Sanxingdui ruins," said Qiao Gang, deputy director of the Sanxingdui Work Station at the Sichuan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.
Archeologists to further explore key sites of ancient Shu civilization
Iran on Monday publicly rejected a core U.S. demand to cease all uranium enrichment, while projecting a dual-track strategy of guarded diplomatic engagement and reinforced military preparedness.
The moves came as the indirect Iran-US talks in Oman's Muscat last week yielded no breakthrough and regional tensions continued to simmer.
On Monday, Mohammad Eslami, president of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said that while Iran could consider diluting its 60-percent enriched uranium, it would only do so if all international sanctions were first lifted.
Eslami also dismissed past proposals to ship the material abroad for safekeeping.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi echoed this line on Monday, reaffirming Tehran's strategy of engaging in talks while refusing to concede on what Iran views as sovereign rights.
Pezeshkian and Araghchi have described the Muscat talks as a "good start" but warned that diplomacy must be based on "respect, not coercion."
In a televised speech on Monday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei urged Iranians to show unity and "disappoint the enemy" ahead of the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, amid rising tensions with the United States.
Meanwhile, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, is set to lead a delegation to visit mediator Oman on Tuesday.
Simultaneously, Iran has signaled a shift toward greater military opacity. Iran's state news agency IRNA said in a report on Sunday that the Defense Ministry has halted all public displays of new weaponry "for security reasons and to safeguard the principle of surprise," a move widely interpreted as preparing for potential conflict.
Positions from the United States and Israel have appeared equally firm. A report on Sunday by Israel's Channel 15 said the United States had privately messaged Iran, seeking Iran's "concessions" in the next round of talks, and expecting "serious and meaningful content."
On Monday, The Jerusalem Post, citing Israeli defense officials, reported that Israel has warned the U.S. it "will strike alone" if Iran crosses its "red lines" on ballistic missiles.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Sunday that he will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Feb 11 in Washington, and will discuss the U.S.-Iran negotiations.
Netanyahu is expected to demand that the U.S. promote the transfer of Iran's enriched uranium out of the country and restrict Iran's ballistic missile capabilities.
Iran rejects zero enrichment, projects dual-track posture amid stalled talks with U.S.
