Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences· 2026Q1
Metallurgical strategies at Sanxingdui: bronze production and resource reuse in Late Shang China
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- 2026year
Short summary
Sanxingdui bronzes (n=79) reveal a strategy of internal metal reuse, evidenced by high lead content and a persistent highly radiogenic lead (HRL) signature, suggesting adaptation to shifting geopolitical landscapes.
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Key points
- 79 bronze samples from Sanxingdui Pits 1 and 2 analyzed for alloy composition and lead isotopes.
- Predominance of lead-tin bronze with high lead content and strictly managed tin levels.
- All samples exhibit a highly radiogenic lead (HRL) signature characteristic of the Shang period.
- Persistence of HRL suggests internal circulation and reuse of metal, not external procurement.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract This study investigates the metallurgical traditions and resource circulation of the Sanxingdui culture through alloy compositional and lead isotope ratio analyses of 79 bronze samples from Sanxingdui Pits 1 and 2. The results reveal a predominance of lead-tin bronze characterised by ubiquitous high lead content, while tin levels were more strictly managed, particularly in bronze vessels. All samples exhibit the highly radiogenic lead (HRL) signature characteristic of the Shang period. The persistence of HRL at Sanxingdui after its decline in the Central Plains is consistent with a shift from external procurement towards the internal circulation and reuse of metal. We advance the remelting of earlier HRL bronzes as a working hypothesis to account for this pattern. These findings illuminate how regional polities adapted their metallurgical strategies to shifting geopolitical landscapes.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Archeology (Social Sciences)
ArcheologySocial Sciences