In Chinese mythology the entities described as “fairies” are often more powerful spirits associated with specific locations, in particular mountains, rivers, and oceans.
In pop culture, the word fairy is most commonly associated in English-speaking countries with Tinkerbell or, if you like to think of yourself as cultured, Puck: winged often undersized magical creatures associated with woods, the bottom of gardens, and wishes.
The term is derived via Old English ( Fae) from Old French ( faie) and refers to women who were skilled in magic or to enchanted things and illusions. But “fairy” may be a misleading term here. The finds are getting a great deal of attention, not only because of the historic importance of the site, but also because the invocation of the word “fairy” in media statements. The iconographic program of the sculptures, which were primarily located in pit 8, is “complex and imaginative.” Zhao Hao, as associate professor at Peking University, said that they reflect “the fairy world imagined by people at the that time, and they demonstrate the diversity and richness of Chinese civilization.” The collection of complex sculptures includes mythical creatures, human-snake hybrids, and bronze heads decorated with gold masks. Professor Li Haichao, of Sichuan University who directs pit 7, told Chinese news agencies that, “It would not be an exaggeration to say that the vessel is one of its kind, given its distinctive shape, fine craftsmanship and ingenious design.” Among the items was a bronze and green jade box that was embellished with dragon head handles and was once kept wrapped in silk. The veritable treasure trove was excavated from sacrificial pits 7 and 8 by a collaborative team of academics from Peking University and Sichuan University. The discoveries were made at the famous Sanxingdui archeological site in the city of Guanghan in the southwest of Sichuan Province. But if you’re picturing folk religion and Tinkerbell, think again. Some of the artifacts, scientists said, are one-of-a-kind objects that hint at the “fairy world” of ancient Chinese religion and thought. A cache of bronze, jade, and gold artifacts as well as evidence of ancient sacrificial rituals were unearthed. Archaeologists in Sichuan Province, China announced this week they have uncovered evidence of ancient efforts to commune with fairies.