Research on the source of cinnabar excavated from Sanxingdui site in China based on sulphur and mercury isotope analyses

Abstract

Cinnabar was frequently used at the Bronze Age site in south-western China of Sanxingdui. This study uses mercury and sulphur isotopic analyses, archaeological materials, and documentary records to explore the source of the cinnabar unearthed at the Sanxingdui site. The cinnabar originated in the Shangyangzi mercury metallogenic area in south-western China, showing a close connection with the mercury mines in the Wu and Yuan river basins, while the Qing River basin is a less likely source. The cinnabar from these three river basins could all be transported to Sanxingdui through the Three Gorges passage. After the alternation of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the primary source of cinnabar in Sanxingdui contracted from the Wu and Yuan River basins to the Wu River basin. During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the Shangyangzi metallogenic area served as a primary source of cinnabar. Its circulation involved two main modes: the Central Plains dynasties controlled the cinnabar in the Shangyangzi metallogenic area and distributed it as rewards to local nobility. Simultaneously, there was autonomous trade between local regions and the Shangyangzi metallogenic area.