New Thought Origin Of The Late Shang Dynasty Copper Material And Flow Direction Of Research Methods

Archaeometallurgical provenance and metal circulation in Shang China have been investigated for decades. Albeit located in the most copper-poor region, Anyang Yinxu is widely known for its mass production of elaborated bronzes. The bigger picture involves not only understanding imbalance between raw material and finished objects, but interaction between central polity and peripheral areas. This research proposes that chemistry of metals is not static. It provides an excellent opportunity to trace overall life history of copper-alloys in human society. Workshop of Yinxu benefits from minimum two flows of copper based on distribution of diagnostic elements combining lead isotopes, archaeological records and historical texts. One derives Hanzhong basin and Chengdu plain. The other one is from Shangdong region. This thesis demonstrates that diagnostic elements are applicable to archaeometallurgical studies in Shang China. Analyses of copper alloys uncovered in Shaanxi and Shandong regions in Shang dynasty are fundamentally important to future research on metal circulation.