Bronze technology and metal resources in the Zhouyuan area before and after the replacement of Shang and Zhou Dynasties

Abstract

The Zhouyuan site was the largest central settlement in the western Guanzhong Plain during the Shang and Zhou periods; it was once the capital of the Zhou people before the establishment of Western Zhou. The archaeological culture used by the Zhou people before they destroyed the Shang Dynasty is called "pre-Zhou culture." In this work, bronzes excavated in the Zhouyuan area from the pre-Zhou period to the Western Zhou period were analyzed via a field emission electron probe microanalyzer for chemical compositions and MC‒ICP‒MS for lead isotope ratios. The results show that various alloy types were used in pre-Zhou, whereas more stable alloy recipes and materials with better performance were used in Western Zhou. The pre-Zhou bronzes contain highly radiogenic lead and common lead, and the Western Zhou bronzes are all common lead. The alloying techniques and metal resources of the Zhouyuan area both changed significantly from pre-Zhou to Western Zhou, which could be related to the great transformation of the bronze industry pattern after the Zhou people replaced the dominance of the Shang Dynasty. Zhouyuan also participated in the circulation network of metal resources centered on Yin Ruins during the late Shang. The highly radiogenic lead metal resources were probably obtained from Yin Ruins through the Shang culture in the eastern Guanzhong Plain (Laoniupo). It can be inferred that the Zhou people acquired bronze smelting and casting techniques from Shang after they conquered Laoniupo; then, their military equipment, as well as sacrificial vessels, improved considerably, which provided resources and technical support for the forthcoming war against the Shang capital.