Investigation And Study Of Arsenic-Containing River-Type Copper Drum In Guangxi

Bronze drums are a type of bronze ware unique to the minority groups in southwest China,and have experienced more than 2,700 years of development from the earliest Wanjiaba type of bronze drums to the present.The Majiang type bronze drum is the longest used bronze drum among the eight types of ancient bronze drums in China,and is still used by many minority groups until now.Therefore,this paper focuses on the phenomenon of arsenic in the composition of Majiang-type bronze drums.This study is based on the dimensional data,external characteristics,and source information of the bronze drums of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Museum of Ethnology,which are mainly of the Majiang type,and combines the analysis of artifact composition,trace elements,scanning electron microscope spectroscopy,and metallurgical microscopy.The study focuses on the composition,distribution,form,ornamentation,dating,casting,source of ore,and other related issues.Using portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy(p XRF)to analyse the composition of 304 bronze drums,mainly of the Majiang type,in the collection of the Anthropology Museum of Guangxi,it was found that arsenic was present in the Lingshan,Beiliu,Zunyi and Majiang types,but mainly in the Majiang type,with arsenic content ranging from 1%-13%.The arsenic-bearing Majiang-type copper drums were scientifically analyzed,including compositional analysis,lead isotope analysis and trace element analysis,etc.The arsenic-bearing Majiang-type copper drums were compared with other types of arsenic-bearing copper drums and non-arsenic-bearing Majiang-type copper drums to explore the similarities and differences of their intrinsic compositions,and it was found that the metal distribution of arsenic-bearing Majiang-type copper drums was more concentrated.The arsenic-bearing and non-arsenic-bearing copper drums were classified and discussed in terms of vessel shape,ornamental features,and lead isotopes,and it was found that there were slight differences between the arsenic-bearing and nonarsenic-bearing copper drums in terms of vessel shape,but no significant differences were found in terms of ornamental features for the time being.This paper summarizes the existing research on arsenic-bearing Majiang bronze drums and discusses the results of the scientific and technological analysis,and attempts to explore the casting process and cultural bearing of bronzes from the Song to Qing dynasties in southern China through the case of arsenic-bearing Majiang bronze drums.It is hoped that this will draw attention to the arsenic-bearing bronze drums and the arsenic-bearing bronzes from the Song-Qing period in southern China.