Tin-coated bronze artifacts first appeared in the Xinan Yi region during the mid-late Warring States period,flourished during the Western Han period,and declined by the early Eastern Han period.Based on data from published metallurgical analyses,this study discerns that in the Xinan Yi and Ba and Shu regions,the hot-tinning technique was applied in the production of tin-coated bronze artifacts.Tinning technology emerged earliest in the Ba and Shu regions during the Western Zhou period and existed for a long time within a distinctive,self-sufficient system,likely the direct source of tinning technology in the Xinan Yi region.The primary users of tin-coated bronze artifacts in this region were indigenous groups such as the Ranmang,Xi,Zuo,Dian,and Mimo peoples.The Shu people,who coexisted with the Xi,Zuo,and other groups in the mountainous regions of southwestern Sichuan around Yingjing,were likely intermediaries who facilitated transmission of tin-coated bronze artifacts and disseminated tinning technology to the Xinan Yi region.This transmission route aligns closely with the Xiyi Route established during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.
Warring States through Qin and Han PeriodsXinan Yi RegionTin-Coated Bronze ArtifactsTechnological OriginsBa and Shu Regions
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
