Scientific Study On The Bronzes From Tianshanbeilu Cemetery

The Tianshanbeilu cemetery is an important early Bronze Age remains in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.More than 3000 bronze objects were excavated,which provided crucial data for early archaeological research in Hami area,Xinjiang.This paper investigates unearthed bronze metallurgy technology characteristics and mineral sources of related problems by select one of the 46 pieces of bronze in Tianshanbeilu cemetery through alloy compositing,element tracing and isotope ratio analyzing.Meanwhile,this study completed some deficient in unearthed bronze of graveyard composition system and provided some new information for the further research on unearthed bronze of the characteristics in this area.In addition,499 sets of chemical composition data and 44 sets of lead isotope ratios data of the bronze excavated from the cemetery and ruins around the Tianshanbeilu cemetery are compared and analyzed,so as to further understand its communication with neighboring cultures.Through the scientific analysis of the unearthed bronze wares in the Tianshanbeilu cemetery,the following conclusions are drawn:First,the study of alloy composition shows that the type of bronze ware excavated from the Tianshanbeilu cemetery isplentiful,tin bronze was the most important alloy more than arsenic and copper,with pure copper-copper tin-lead ternary alloy.The main characteristics of tin bronze alloy and other prehistoric cemetery in Hami showed great differences,while similar to other Xinjiang regions,Siba culture Huoshaogou cemetery and Jiuquan dry bone cliff graveyard.Arsenic copper was widely used in most parts of Xinjiang and Siba culture cemetery shows that in the process of metallurgy arsenic copper plays an important role in this area.Second,tracing element research shows that the cemetery of Tianshanbeilu may has different mineral sources of unearthed bronze,but Hami and other areas of Xinjiang cemetery unearthed bronze group were similar.This research performs copper material supply system is generally stable around Xinjiang,while the difference between focus on development and utilization of mineral resources.Such as Nan Wan cemetery,Heigouliang cemetery,Baiqier cemetery and Bayinguoleng Mongolia Autonomous Prefecture may had a new resources of mineral.Siba culture Huoshaogou cemetery meight had the same or similar mineral sources with Tianshanleilu cemetery,however,it is different form key development and utilizationin donghuishan cemetery.Third,lead isotope studies indicate that the sources of copper was complex and diverse in Tianshanbeilu cemetery,not only high radioactivity lead ore but also common lead ore,and may be more than one ordinary lead source to supply.For example,Part of the implement might derived form the nulasai ancient copper mine.It is worth noting that the mineral sources form Tianshanleilu cemetery may be identical with the locations of Bazhou's graveyard,Tacheng and Shihezi region as well as two bronze unearthed in Fuzhisuanchang cemetery,while different from the area of BBI River,Qitai,Changji,Nan Wan cemetery and Urumqi Nanshan.