Comparison of analytical techniques for analysis of archaeological bronze

While many analyses of archaeological bronzes have been reported in the literature, in practice it is very difficult to compare them. To assess the present status of the chemical analysis of bronze two ancient objects—a flat axe (arsenic bronze) and a sickle (tin bronze)—were cut into pieces weighing about 2 g each and were distributed to 11 laboratories. The participants used the following methods for analysis: INAA, ED–XRF, PIXE, TRXRF, FAAS, ICP–AES, ICP–MS, SEM–EDS, LA–ICP–MS and PGAA. The samples were analysed in at least quadruplicate. Dixon's and Iglewicz and Hoaglin's tests were used to detect outliers. The majority of methods provided comparable results, especially for macroelements, independent of the technique and standards used. The number of determined elements depended on the method and, naturally, on the concentration level. Therefore an important recommendation that can be made is to supply, with each archaeometric investigation, data from the analysis of appropriate Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) used in the study.     

山东新泰出土东周青铜复合剑制作技术研究

为探讨东周青铜复合剑的制作技术,采用X光探伤、CT、XRF、金相分析等方法,对出土于山东新泰周家庄战国早期齐国墓的2把青铜复合剑进行了内部结构、制作工艺、合金技术、金相组织等方面的研究.结果表明:2把青铜复合剑均采用低锡合金和高锡合金两种材料复合而成.在检测分析的基础上,讨论了新泰出土的2把青铜复合剑与吴越特色青铜复合剑制作技术上的差异:在结构上,低锡区设置在剑脊的两侧,其截面结构呈现多种形式,与高锡区铸接,浑然一体;在成分上,低锡区含锡量仅为4％,具有锡青铜最佳的延伸率.结合青铜复合剑剑柄的特色,认为虽然新泰出土复合剑的内部结构与已研究的吴越特色青铜复合剑有明显差异,但制作理念应是一脉相承的.     

浙江省博物馆收藏的一批商周青铜器

浙江省博物馆收藏有一批商周青铜器,包括鼎、簋、爵、斝、觚等,来源不一。本文对其中15件礼器作了初步整理与分析,认为它们在器型、纹饰、铭文等方面皆具有较为明确的时代特征。     

略论商周时期射牲礼

由花东甲骨文和作册般鼋铭文的记载可知,射牲礼起源不晚于商代中晚期,最初其举行的地点通常在自然形成的河流沼泽等水边,射牲结束后多伴随有祭祀活动。之后射牲礼逐渐发展完善,由麦尊和伯唐父鼎等青铜器铭文记载可以推定,至晚到西周早期,天子在辟雍乘舟射牲的仪式已明显区别于习射及以"择士"为目的的大射,其不仅与祭祀相关,且已具有象征天子亲自射猎以"示亲杀"的特点。     

纪南城周边楚墓地出土青铜“越式鼎”现象的考古学考察

湖北江陵纪南城为楚国都城,在该城址周边楚墓中出土了约13件青铜"越式鼎",时代始于战国中期,延续至战国晚期。这批墓葬的考古学文化特征显示其葬制以楚文化特征为主,但部分墓葬随葬品的越式风格浓郁。通过综合研究,本文认为此为楚化的越人或其后裔墓葬,他们在楚国的社会生活中担当着较为重要的角色。这批楚化的越人可能在楚国军队之中担任军士,或以巫觋身份参与了当地的祭祀等宗教活动,并有着与楚人彼此认同的宇宙观、灵魂观和祭祀习俗。这一现象也在一定程度上反映了多元楚文化的包容性和开放性,以及越文化在楚文化构建中的特殊地位。     

三星堆青铜树象征性研究

对三星堆遗址二号祭祀坑出土的青铜神树的研究现状进行回顾,从宗教人类学与萨满艺术的角度对其作了新的探讨,认为树与鸟相结合的表现形式是萨满艺术中“世界之轴”或“萨满树”的典型特征,是萨满和巫师进行祭祀时沟通天地的主要道具.文章呼吁,对这类意识信仰的产品我们除了文献资料以外,还应该利用宗教人类学方法来深入解读其深层的涵义.     

Did China Import Metals from Africa in the Bronze Age?

The origins of the copper, tin and lead for China's rich Bronze Age cultures are a major topic in archaeological research, with significant contributions being made by archaeological fieldwork, archaeometallurgical investigations and geochemical considerations. Here, we investigate a recent claim that the greater part of the Shang‐period metalwork was made using metals from Africa, imported together with the necessary know‐how to produce tin bronze. A brief review of the current status of lead isotopic study on Shang‐period bronze artefacts is provided first, clarifying a few key issues involved in this discussion. It is then shown that there is no archaeological or isotopic basis for bulk metal transfer between Africa and China during the Shang period, and that the copper and lead in Shang bronze with a strongly radiogenic signature is not likely to be from Africa. We call for collaborative interdisciplinary research to address the vexing question of the Shang period's metal sources, focusing on smelting sites in geologically defined potential source regions and casting workshops identified at a number of Shang settlements.     

Quantitative characterization of archaeological bronzes based on thermal and compositional analysis

Pulsed thermography has been applied to the quantitative characterization of the insertions of two ancient bronzes, the Boxer at Rest and the Hellenistic Prince. The analysis of the thermographic signal time dependence performed by a specifically developed model enabled the evaluation of the insertions’ thickness and of elements which could provide indications about the procedure followed for their insertion. This could be achieved by exploiting a semi-empirical relation establishing the thermal diffusivity dependence on the total effective weighted concentration of Sn and Pb atoms obtained from the analysis of the values determined on samples containing different concentrations of Sn and Pb.     

不稳定青铜器的处理方法

“青铜病”的稳定问题对文物保护工作者来说还是一个挑战。文献报道了不少的处理方法,每种方法都有其优点及不足之处。本文对“青铜病”的处理方法进行了考察,主要讨论了化学封护法的应用及其未来的研究方向。     

先秦时期青铜钺的再研究

青铜钺在先秦时期具有重要礼制意义。鉴于考古材料的日益丰富,本文在前人研究的基础上,运用考古类型学研究方法并结合文化因素分析法,总结出青铜钺发生发展的时代性和地域性。同时以此为基础,结合古文字和历史典籍资料,探讨了商周时期的用钺制度。