Bronze production and lead resource circulation in the Yuhuangmiao Culture of the Eastern Zhou dynasty

Abstract

The Yuhuangmiao Culture is regarded as a key representative example of the Late Bronze Age in northern China. This paper presents findings from a project conducted by the Hebei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, which re-evaluated artifacts excavated from significant Yuhuangmiao Culture sites, particularly the Manzigou Cemetery and the Paotaishan Cemetery. The study focused on various bronze samples, which underwent multiple analytical techniques to conduct an in-depth analysis of the production process of bronze and the source of the lead materials used. The evidence suggests that a casting system for a copper-tin-lead ternary alloy was established by the maturity phase of the Yuhuangmiao Culture, and bronze production primarily utilized B lead, supplemented by C lead sources from the Central Plains. The findings indicate a complex network of exchange and interaction between the Central Plains and the Eurasian steppe, shaped by the interplay of these two distinct cultural regions.