Description
The mysterious and ancient city of Sanxingdui is famous for its astonishing bronze-casting technology. Villagers come from faraway lands to admire the bronze masks and trade for the highly prized bronze wares. However, Sanxingdui faces danger when its people hear rumors of a foreign invasion. The chief’s daughter, Min, and her newly initiated warrior brother, Wei, lead the villagers to flee their homeland for peace. Where do they go? And what do they do with their sacred bronze masks and statues?
This fictionalized children’s story offers a glimpse into the lost civilization of Sanxingdui in China, over 3,000 years ago and helps readers understand an important archaeological discovery which changes historical understandings of ancient China. The book includes photos and map of the 1986 archaeological discovery in Sanxingdui which was acknowledged as the “ninth wonder of the ancient world.”
Praises:
Smith provides a sense of village life—a lot to cover in this gentle re-creation of the final days of Sanxingdui. The mystery alluded to … the archaeological discovery of large bronze pieces in 1986 and our ignorance of what Sanxingdui culture was really like and what led to its destruction. A suitable addition on the topic. — School Library Journal
Featuring striking, colorful illustrations, Mystery of the Giant Masks of Sanxingdui is a children’s picture book that tells a story about what life might have once been like in the ancient, mysterious city of Sanxingdui. An archaeological site in China famous for its astonishing bronze artifacts, Sanxingdui was once a thriving civilization. Highly recommended, especially for public library multicultural picture book collections! — Midwest Book Review
Truly amazed at the detail…. fascinating conjecture… very impressive!— Goodreads
