Harvard Anthropology Faculty and Fellow Featured in PBS Documentary Secrets of the Dead: China's Bronze Kingdom

Harvard Anthropology is pleased to share that Rowan Flad, John E. Hudson Professor of Archaeology, and Xiaoge He, Postdoctoral Fellow in Anthropology, are featured in the newly released PBS documentary Secrets of the Dead: China's Bronze Kingdom.

The documentary explores one of the most remarkable archaeological discoveries of recent decades: the unearthing of a mysterious ancient city hidden in the mountains of Sichuan, China. Long forgotten and absent from historical records for thousands of years, the site came to light following the chance discovery of a jade artifact in 1986. Since then, archaeologists have uncovered more than 10,000 extraordinary objects, prompting new questions about the ancient Shu kingdom and its place in Chinese history.

Through expert commentary and analysis, China's Bronze Kingdom examines the significance of these discoveries and investigates whether the site may have served as the capital of the Shu kingdom. The documentary highlights ongoing archaeological research and the transformative role of material evidence in understanding ancient societies.

We congratulate Professor Flad and Dr. He on their contributions to this important project and invite members of the Harvard Anthropology community to watch the episode.

Secrets of the Dead: China's Bronze Kingdom (Season 23, Episode 4) is available through PBS until June 25, 2026 here.