Capturing changes : applying the Oxford system to further understand the movement of metal in Shang China
The Bronze Age China presents to us a significant contrast to the rest of Eurasia in two aspects, the great commitment to the complicated bronze ritual vessels and the immense scale of production. Both features reached their zenith in the late Shang period in the late second millennium BC but left a delicate puzzle to archaeologists: through what trajectories was the metal moved and engaged with human societies in China? The traditional approach is heavily confined to either cultural-historic paradigms or text-oriented researches. Whilst the increasing number of scientific studies in recent decades allows scholars to be more precisely focused on bronze artefacts, their sometimes overwhelming obsession on the provenance of metal provokes criticism in many ways. Drawing from approximately 3000 alloying analyses, 1000 trace elemental data and 1100 lead isotopes, this thesis delivers a series of systematic comparative studies on copper-based artefacts with the newly developed Oxford system. The waning and waxing of various types of metal in different time and space depict a constantly and unpredictably changing pattern. People inhabited along the borderlands appeared to be greatly dependent on local supply of
Liu, Ruiliang
Capturing changes : applying the Oxford system to further understand the movement of metal in Shang China. The Bronze Age China presents to us a significant contrast to the rest of Eurasia in two aspects, the great commitment to the complicated bronze ritual vessels and the immense scale of production. Both features reached their zenith in the late Shang period in the late second millennium BC but left a delicate puzzle to archaeologists: through what trajectories was the metal moved and engaged with human societies in China? The traditional approach is heavily confined to either cultural-historic paradigms or text-oriented researches. Whilst the increasing number of scientific studies in recent decades allows scholars to be more precisely focused on bronze artefacts, their sometimes overwhelming obsession on the provenance of metal provokes criticism in many ways. Drawing from approximately 3000 alloying analyses, 1000 trace elemental data and 1100 lead isotopes, this thesis delivers a series of systematic comparative studies on copper-based artefacts with the newly developed Oxford system. The waning and waxing of various types of metal in different time and space depict a constantly and unpredictably changing pattern. People inhabited along the borderlands appeared to be greatly dependent on local supply of
change applying oxford system movement metal china bronze_age china present significant contrast rest eurasia two_aspect great commitment complicate bronze ritual vessel immense scale_production feature reach zenith late period late second_millennium leave delicate puzzle archaeologist trajectory metal move engage human_society china traditional heavily confine either cultural historic paradigm text oriented research whilst increase_number scientific study allow scholar precisely focus bronze artefact sometimes overwhelming provenance metal provokes criticism many_way drawing alloy analysis trace elemental data lead_isotope delivers series systematic comparative_study copper_based artefact newly_develop oxford system wan various_type metal different time_space depict constantly change pattern people inhabit along borderland appear greatly dependent local supply