Cultural exchange and technical artistry: Gold ornaments found in pre-imperial Qin Tomb at Ta’erpo, Shaanxi

IF 0.9 2区历史学 0 ARCHAEOLOGY

Archaeological Research in Asia Pub Date : 2024-11-23 DOI:10.1016/j.ara.2024.100572

Yan Liu , Gaowen Xie , Xuyang Zhao , Juan Ji , James Lin , Ruiliang Liu , Donglin Du , Junchang Yang

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Abstract

The current study investigates the use of precious metals, aesthetic taste, manufacturing techniques, and craftworking practices in the pre-imperial Qin period before the unification of China, focusing on an interdisciplinary study of gold ornaments discovered at the Ta’erpo cemetery in Xianyang, dating to the 4th-3rd centuries BCE. Employing multi-spectral analytical methods, including 3D Digital Microscopy (OM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), we conducted non-invasive analyses and technological study of a selection of gold artefacts. The results reveal the mastery of sophisticated techniques, including granulation and filigree, which were rarely seen in central China prior to the 2nd century BCE. These delicate decorative techniques required precision, skill and deep understanding of gold metalworking, which demonstrated a high level of technological competence among Qin craftsmen. The investigated ornaments were crafted from very pure gold with content reaching up to 99.62 wt% gold, a rarity among early Chinese gold artefacts. Examining pre-imperial Qin goldwork within a broader Eurasian context reveals that these innovative artistic styles and decorative techniques were originally intertwined with wider influences from the Hellenistic world and the central Asian steppes. This research enriches the understanding of ancient civilization's interconnectedness and the ability of local goldsmith to adapt and integrate foreign influences into their own artistic traditions.

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文化交流与技术艺术：陕西塔儿坡先秦墓出土的金饰

本研究以咸阳塔儿坡墓地出土的公元前 4-3 世纪的金饰为重点，对先秦贵金属的使用、审美趣味、制造技术和工艺实践进行了跨学科研究。我们采用多光谱分析方法，包括三维数码显微镜（OM）和扫描电子显微镜与能量色散 X 射线光谱仪（SEM-EDS），对部分金器进行了非侵入式分析和技术研究。研究结果表明，在公元前 2 世纪之前，中国中部地区很少出现包括造粒和花丝在内的复杂工艺。这些精巧的装饰工艺需要精确、熟练的技术和对黄金金属加工的深刻理解，这显示了秦国工匠高超的技术能力。所调查的装饰品由纯度极高的黄金制成，含金量高达 99.62%，这在中国早期金器中十分罕见。在更广阔的欧亚背景下考察先秦金器，可以发现这些创新的艺术风格和装饰技术最初是与希腊化世界和中亚草原的广泛影响交织在一起的。这项研究丰富了人们对古代文明的相互关联性以及当地金匠将外来影响适应并融入自身艺术传统的能力的认识。

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来源期刊

Archaeological Research in Asia ARCHAEOLOGY-

CiteScore

2.50

自引率

13.30%

发文量

期刊介绍： Archaeological Research in Asia presents high quality scholarly research conducted in between the Bosporus and the Pacific on a broad range of archaeological subjects of importance to audiences across Asia and around the world. The journal covers the traditional components of archaeology: placing events and patterns in time and space; analysis of past lifeways; and explanations for cultural processes and change. To this end, the publication will highlight theoretical and methodological advances in studying the past, present new data, and detail patterns that reshape our understanding of it. Archaeological Research in Asia publishes work on the full temporal range of archaeological inquiry from the earliest human presence in Asia with a special emphasis on time periods under-represented in other venues. Journal contributions are of three kinds: articles, case reports and short communications. Full length articles should present synthetic treatments, novel analyses, or theoretical approaches to unresolved issues. Case reports present basic data on subjects that are of broad interest because they represent key sites, sequences, and subjects that figure prominently, or should figure prominently, in how scholars both inside and outside Asia understand the archaeology of cultural and biological change through time. Short communications present new findings (e.g., radiocarbon dates) that are important to the extent that they reaffirm or change the way scholars in Asia and around the world think about Asian cultural or biological history.