Liu, S;
Chen, KL;
Rehren, T;
Mei, JJ;
Chen, JL;
Liu, Y;
Killick, D;
(2018)
Did China Import Metals from Africa in the Bronze Age?
Archaeometry
, 60
(1)
pp. 105-117.
10.1111/arcm.12352.
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Abstract
The origins of the copper, tin and lead for China's rich Bronze Age cultures are a major topic in archaeological research, with significant contributions being made by archaeological fieldwork, archaeometallurgical investigations and geochemical considerations. Here, we investigate a recent claim that the greater part of the Shang-period metalwork was made using metals from Africa, imported together with the necessary know-how to produce tin bronze. A brief review of the current status of lead isotopic study on Shang-period bronze artefacts is provided first, clarifying a few key issues involved in this discussion. It is then shown that there is no archaeological or isotopic basis for bulk metal transfer between Africa and China during the Shang period, and that the copper and lead in Shang bronze with a strongly radiogenic signature is not likely to be from Africa. We call for collaborative interdisciplinary research to address the vexing question of the Shang period's metal sources, focusing on smelting sites in geologically defined potential source regions and casting workshops identified at a number of Shang settlements.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Did China Import Metals from Africa in the Bronze Age? |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1111/arcm.12352 |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/arcm.12352 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | Social Sciences, Science & Technology, Physical Sciences, Archaeology, Chemistry, Analytical, Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear, Geosciences, Multidisciplinary, Chemistry, Geology, lead isotopes, highly radiogenic lead, Shang bronze, provenance, STABLE LEAD-ISOTOPE, ORE SOURCES, ARTIFACTS, COPPER, SITES, MESOPOTAMIA, PROVENANCE, TIN |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS > Institute of Archaeology UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS > Institute of Archaeology > Institute of Archaeology Gordon Square |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10043217 |
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