Special alloys from remote frontiers of the Shang Kingdom: scientific study of the Hanzhong bronzes from southwest Shaanxi, China

More than 200 bronze objects found in Hanzhong, southwest Shaanxi Province, China, a frontier region of the Shang Kingdom during the Shang dynasty, have been analysed for their composition and microstructure. Forty-three typologically distinct, and probably culturally indigenous, items have been found to be compositionally distinctive as well. This paper presents analytical results of the two types of local Hanzhong bronzes, namely the sickle-shaped and sceptre-shaped objects. Three special alloys, arsenic bronze, antimonial bronze and copper–nickel–arsenic ternary alloy, are particularly emphasized and discussed. The archaeological context of Hanzhong bronzes and their significance for the archaeometallurgy research of the Shang period are discussed as well.     

Revisiting the lead isotopic compositions of the Shang bronzes at Hanzhong and the new hypothesis of Qinling as the source of highly radiogenic lead

The provenance of the highly radiogenic lead (HRL) contained in Chinese Shang bronzes has attracted great scholarly attention in recent years. A new study of the Hanzhong Shang bronzes has put forward a hypothesis that the HRL metal may come from the adjacent Qinling Mountains. This article reanalyses the lead isotope ratios and alloy compositions of the Hanzhong bronzes. Combining the analytical results, the modern ore data and the slags from Guanzhong area, we propose that there is no direct evidence to identify Qinling as the provenance of HRL metal (especially lead). Whilst over 80% of the Hanzhong bronzes contain HRL, the indigenous artefacts containing both HRL and special alloying elements (As, Sb, Ni) account only for minor portions. This fact cannot verify that HRL originates from Qinling, and even makes it difficult to prove that most of the Hanzhong bronzes use local metal resources. An alternative argument might be that the HRL used in Hanzhong derived from the Shang dynasty. The use of HRL reflects a unified system for allocating metal resources centred on the Shang kingdom, which has great significance for further understanding of the resource circulation patterns among different bronze cultures and locations during the Shang period.     

陕南出土的摇钱树佛教图像

陕西南部城固和汉中的东汉砖室墓中出土的摇钱树枝和树干上面分别发现佛像以及莲花图案,这是陕西省目前发现的最早的佛像,也是我国发现的最早的佛像之一,对于探讨陕西省佛教艺术的起源具有重要意义.     

Scientific examination of Shang-dynasty bronzes from Hanzhong,Shaanxi Province,China

Shang-dynasty bronzes recovered in the Hanzhong region, Shaanxi province have been receiving considerable research interest since the 1950s due to their strong regional characteristics. This paper presents preliminary analytical results of 16 samples taken from 13 Hanzhong bronze objects, which, for the first time, have revealed their diversity in chemical composition and casting quality. In particular, the finding that some correspondence probably exists between the types of artefact and their materials has significant implications for identifying regional technical characteristics of the Hanzhong bronzes, as well as for exploring the interaction between the metropolitan areas of the Shang Kingdom with the areas beyond its southwestern frontiers.     

水资源环境变迁与乡村社会控制--以清代汉中府的堰渠水利为中心

清代汉中府水资源环境的不断变迁,引发了诸如水利设施兴废、水利冲突等问题。在解决这些问题的过程中,乡村社会控制权日益显现出下移趋势。但自乾嘉以降,在水资源环境严重恶化的情况下,官府力量似乎又显得重要起来。这说明国家与社会之间呈现的是一种错综复杂的社会关系,不能用简单的二元对立模式给予教条性概括,必须考察具体的社会生态环境。