Copper ore source analysis was conducted on 74 bronzes unearthed from the Xindian site in Anyang through lead and copper isotopes.Lead isotope results indicate consistency between variations in lead resources for bronzes from different phases at the Xindian site and those from Yinxu,suggesting possible direct supply of lead resources from Yinxu to the Xindian site.Both the highly radiogenic lead of the Shang Dynasty and the ordinary lead of the Yinxu phase Ⅳ culture may have originated from lead mines in western Henan Province,emphasizing the significance of western Henan metal resources,which provided an important economic foundation for sustaining bronze production and stable rule during the Shang Dynasty.Copper isotope analysis reveals that copper used at Xindian was primarily smelted from oxidized ores such as malachite.Copper resources used during Yinxu phases Ⅱ through Ⅳ probably changed,and their exact origins await further study.
Lead IsotopeCopper IsotopeXindian SiteMetal CirculationYinxu
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万方数据
