Jin Dao Xi Hang:Metal Circulation Network in the Middle Yangtze River Region during the Shang and Zhou Periods
The inscription on the Zeng State bronze vessel Zeng Bo Qi Fu,"Jin Dao Xi Hang,"re-flects that copper and tin shared common transportation routes or could flow together,which was char-acteristic of the early Spring and Autumn periods.This situation does not represent the general circula-tion of metal resources during the various stages of the Shang and Zhou dynasties.From the Erlitou pe-riod to the early Shang period,bronze materials primarily flowed from the Central Plains to the south.During the mid to late Shang dynasty and early Western Zhou period,the metallurgy industry in the south gradually developed,leading to a bidirectional flow of bronze materials between the Central Plains and the southern regions.By the mid-Western Zhou period,multiple copper smelting centers e-merged in the Middle and Lower Yangtze River regions.These regions competed based on their respec-tive metal resource endowments,with tin from the Nanling Mountains playing a crucial role,attracting a broad metal circulation network that extended further south.The Middle Yangtze River region was able to couple copper sourced from eastern Hubei and northern Jiangxi with tin from southern Hunan,high-lighting significant resource endowments and circulation advantages.As a result,this region could assist the Central Plains in overcoming metal shortages during the early Spring and Autumn period and pro-mote the integration and formation of Chu culture within the area.
Jin Dao Xi HangShang and Zhou periodsmiddle Yangtze River regionmetal circula-tion network
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