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Sanxingdui bronzes:
The first peak of the development of Bashu bronzes
Yu Mengzhou Li Xiaomeng
Mr. Su Bingqi pointed out that from a higher level, Sichuan ancient culture is one of the centers of Ancient Chinese Culture, and the Sanxingdui Cultural Period has entered the Fangguo stage. Although the published data is still not enough evidence to carefully analyze the characteristics of various aspects of the Sanxingdui culture, the two artifact pits discovered in 1986 (K1 and K2) and the six artifact pits (K3-K8) excavated in 2020 are undoubtedly indicative that the late or slightly earlier stages of the Sanxingdui culture have entered the Bronze Age and reached the first peak of bronze development in bashu. The arrival of this stage is too sudden, and there is no full evidence to solve the mystery, but combined with the existing information, we can also see some implicit information, which this article will explore slightly.
Sanxingdui Museum Bronze Museum Head Hall (Sanxingdui Museum Courtesy photo)
One
Two types of bronze artifacts have been found at the Sanxingdui site, namely bronze plaques and bells, which predate K1, K2 and the recent excavations of six artifact pits. Although the types and quantities of bronze ware are small, they have been different from the previous Baodun culture, and together with related pottery, they mark a direct or indirect connection with the Erlitou culture. Since then, the Sichuan Basin has entered a new stage of cultural development. There are 4 bronze ornaments, which are found in the northeast of moon bay terraces, The Zhenwu Village Warehouse Bag (3 pieces) and Gao Biao Commune (1 piece), which can be divided into two categories: inlaid turquoise and inlaid turquoise. When it was found, there were 2 pieces of turquoise embedded in it, and there were neatly arranged hollowed out plaques, and according to its characteristics, it was inferred that the warehouse bag 87GSZJ: 16 This artifact was originally embedded with turquoise. The turquoise-inlaid warehouse bag 87GSZJ:17 is special, with a flat side on one side and a raised short ridge in the middle of the other side, with contiguous convex cakes at both ends; if this plaque also needs to be worn, the holes at both ends may not be formed by the stagnation of copper liquid, as the reporters suggest, but are more likely to have practical uses. The two bronze bells found in the Moon Bay Terrace in the Sanxingdui City site and later collected by the cultural relics department are all single-wing bells with basically the same shape. There is a bar button in the middle of the flat top, and there are square holes on both sides of the button. The bell body is decorated with a flat trapezoidal convex wire frame on each side.
In addition to the reporters, some researchers infer the aforementioned bronze age as the pre-Shang Dynasty (or as early as the end of summer), and some generally infer the Shang Dynasty. Judging from the sources affected by the above-mentioned bronze artifacts and their absence in the Sanxingdui artifact pit, such an chronological opinion has a certain degree of legitimacy. However, it should be noted that this kind of dating research still needs systematic research on similar artifacts and their excavation environments in the future to be finalized.
The copper bell is obviously similar to the Erlitou culture excavators, and the bronze plaque inlaid with turquoise is also related to the Erlitou culture's counterparts. However, there are different opinions in the academic circles on the source of bronze medallions, in addition to the Zhongyuan theory, some scholars believe that the production of Guanghan bronze medallions is closely related to the Hami region of Xinjiang, and it is most likely that it was introduced to the Sichuan Basin through the Hexi Corridor through the northeast region of Sichuan. From the shape of the plaque and decorative patterns, the Guanghan bronze medallion and the Erlitou culture, as well as gansu Tianshui, Xinjiang Hami and other places of the same or different, combined with the Sanxingdui culture may appear in the Erlitou culture similar to the pottery factors, the current turquoise inlaid bronze ornaments as the remote inheritance of Erlitou cultural factors in the local casting possibility still exist e, but the short ridge and no turquoise copper medal decoration still has a greater association with the Hami area, but there is no other evidence other than that.
Due to the small number of bronzes, it is impossible to accurately infer what role bronzes can play in the Sanxingdui culture during this period. But it is beneficial for the Sanxingdui crowd to understand bronze and may obtain certain information such as bronze casting technology.
Two
In 1986, Pit No. 1 and No. 2 pit f were excavated near the city wall of Sanxingdui, which completely broke through the academic understanding of the cultural appearance and development degree of the Chengdu Plain in the Shang Dynasty, and also established its status as another cultural center in the Xia and Shang periods. Pits 1 and 2 have unearthed a large number of high-grade items, and as far as bronze ware is concerned, the variety and quantity and exquisite production have reached the highest in the southwest region of the Shang Dynasty. Pit 1 unearthed 178 pieces of bronze artifacts, including human heads, kneeling portraits, human masks, human faces, dragon pillars, tiger-shaped instruments, dragon-shaped ornaments, Ge, Zhen, Zun, Wan, plates, utensil covers, etc.; the types and quantities of bronze artifacts unearthed in Pit No. 2 were significantly more than those in Pit No. 1, including portraits (Da Li Ren, Xiao Li Ren, Animal Head Crown Portraits, Kneeling Portraits, HornEd Peak Kneeling Portraits, Human Bird Claw Foot Figures), Human Heads (including 4 Gold Mask Human Heads), Human Figure Plates (or Known as Double Sheath Sword Shaped Bronze Medals), Masks (People, Beast masks), animal faces, eye-shaped ornaments and eye bubbles, sun-shaped vessels, sacred trees, altars, shrines, zuns, 罍, 瑗, qi-shaped square holes, zhang-shaped ornaments, ge, various hanging ornaments (including bells, circles, turtle backs, scallops, ji-shaped and other forms and bell hangings, hanging rings, shells, triangular ornaments, projectiles, etc.), copper foil ornaments (including fish-shaped foil ornaments and fish-shaped, zhang-shaped, leaf vein patterns, circles, fish scale patterns, painted patterns, animal faces, beast-shaped, bird-shaped foil ornaments, etc.), miscellaneous parts (including snakes, snake-shaped devices, dragon-shaped ornaments, roosters, bird heads, birds, Bird ornaments, buffalo heads, monsters, catfish, hollows, a variety of hollow ornaments, etc.), a total of 735 pieces; the recent excavation of Sanxingdui No. 3 pit (14.1 square meters) unearthed a large number of bronze and ivory and other relics once again attracted the attention of the academic community, especially the excavation of a bronze statue kneeling is of great cultural and artistic value.
Sanxingdui Copper Monster (Sanxingdui Museum Courtesy photo)
Scholars have two views on the burial age of the two artifact pits excavated in 1986 at the same time and at different times. At the same time, the two pit years are said to be the early stage of the middle period of Yin Ruins, the third phase of Yin Ruins, the late Shang Dynasty, the late Yin Dynasty and the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, the late Western Zhou Dynasty, the early Spring and Autumn Period, and the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period. Scholars who hold the different ages of the two pits have several theories such as Pit 1 as The First Phase of Yin Ruins, Pit 2 as the Late Stage of Yin Ruins, Pit No. 1 as The First Phase of Yin Ruins, Pit 2 as the early stage of Yin Ruins II or between Phases I and II of Yin Ruins, Pit No. 1 as the Shang Zhou Period, Pit No. 2 as the Spring and Autumn Period, Pit No. 1 between the end of The First Phase of Yin Ruins and Phase II of Yin Ruins, and Pit 2 between Phase II and Phase III and IV of Yin Ruins. The recently released carbon dating results of Sanxingdui Pit No. 4 through bamboo charcoal chips show that there is a 68.3% probability of falling in the 3072-3003 (cal. BP) time frame, 95.4% probability falls in the 3148-2966 (cal. BP) within the scope. At present, the general inference of the age of the Sanxingdui artifact pit as the late Shang period, or the beginning of the week, the academic community should have no major doubts. However, the specific age of each pit is at the same time, there is still a difference between morning and evening, and the specific age of each pit needs further dating and comparative study of artifacts.
Sanxingdui Copper 罍 (Courtesy of Sanxingdui Museum)
During this period, the Chengdu Plain reached its first peak in the use of bronze, and the Sanxingdui site also became the center of bronze casting in the Sichuan Basin at this time. There are the following points that we need to pay attention to:
(1) The distribution of Sanxingdui cultural settlements shows the characteristics of the high concentration of Sanxingdui ruins, of which the Sanxingdui city site has become a super-large central settlement at this time.
The area of sanxingdui ruins can reach 12 square kilometers, and the distribution area of the city site during the Xia and Shang dynasties is about 3.5 square kilometers. The Sanxingdui site is clearly the center of the Sanxingdui culture of this period. According to the survey, around the Sanxingdui site, There are a considerable number of small and medium-sized sites distributed in Guanghan, Shifang, Mianzhu, Xindu, Pengzhou, Qingbaijiang and other places, and the cultural appearance is the same as that of the Sanxingdui culture, indicating that there are several small and medium-sized sites of different grades around the Sanxingdui site, which together constitute a widely distributed and relatively independent cultural area. Overall, this area not only found super-large city sites, but also unearthed a variety of high-grade artifacts (Sanxingdui multiple artifact pits unearthed a large number of bronzes, jades, gold, bone, stone, ivory, sea shells and many other types of artifacts), which is the area with the highest level of development of Sanxingdui culture, and is also the core area directly controlled by Sanxingdui culture (kingdom).
(2) The excavation of bronze ware shows a unique phenomenon.
In addition to the Sanxingdui site, a total of 8 bronzes were found in Fulin Commune of Hanyuan County twice, 1 bronze statue was excavated from Dachang Town in Wushan, and small bronze objects such as copper fish hooks were also found at the Site of Zhongbazi in Wanzhou. The copper statues unearthed in Wushan are more likely to be imported from outside, and the burial age of the bronzes unearthed in Fulin Commune does not rule out the possibility of being slightly later. Compared with the Sanxingdui site, the number of copper artifacts unearthed at the aforementioned site is too small, which is related to the excavation environment and specific purposes of use of bronzes, but it also shows that there is obvious concentration and monopoly in the use of bronzes.
(3) Various indications indicate that there is copper casting at the Sanxingdui site.
First, a large number of bronze types with their own characteristics were found at the Sanxingdui site. The standing portraits, human heads, human masks, animal masks, various eye-shaped objects, sacred trees, altars, various ornaments and many other artifacts excavated from the Sanxingdui artifact pit are not found in other areas, showing obvious local characteristics.
Second, remnants related to the casting of bronzes were found at the Sanxingdui site. In the Sanxingdui No. 1 artifact pit, some copper heads, zuns, and yao still have mud core soil, that is, neifan. This clay core soil is also found in the bone burning and filling soil of the No. 1 artifact pit, as well as in the cultural layer of the site. Excavators deduced from this that the bronze artifacts should have been cast in the Sanxingdui site. By analyzing 1 piece of internal fan, it was found that there was no mineral transformation and other abnormal phenomena in the fan, and it was speculated that the pouring temperature may not exceed 900 °C. In 1963, relics such as malachite and copper slag were found on the second layer of the three exploration parties at the Moon Bay site T105, T106 and T107, and a piece of coarse sand pottery with copper slag attached to it was also found, which excavators speculated may be a crucible fragment.
Third, sanxingdui culture bronze casting technology has its own characteristics. Sanxingdui bronzes are all cast and formed by the block model method, and no examples of forging and forming have been found. Some scholars have conducted detailed research on the casting technology of 3 pieces of Shang bronze and 6 pieces of non-Shang bronze excavated from Sanxingdui Artifact Pit, and believe that there are two processes that are not available in other regions, or the earliest. One is to connect the parts by casting riveting, and the other is the cutting hole technology e. Among them, the casting riveting process is found in the connection f between the three parts of the base of the sacred tree (K2:194), while the cutting hole is mostly found in the upper and lower parts of the two sides of the human mask and the middle part of the forehead. Another scholar observed 23 pieces of bronze artifacts excavated from Sanxingdui Pits 1 and 2 through metallographic organization, and found that most of the castings of these copper alloys had pores and casting defects. This is compared with the bronze castings excavated in the Central Plains in the same period, reflecting the backwardness and immaturity of bronze smelting and casting technology in the Bashu region.
Fourth, the chemical composition of bronzes and the source of copper ore need to be further studied. Some scholars have analyzed the composition of electronic probes on the 23 pieces of bronze artifacts excavated from Sanxingdui No. 1 and No. 2 artifact pits, and the results can be divided into 5 categories: red copper (3 pieces), copper tin (5 pieces), copper lead tin (5 pieces), copper lead tin (9 pieces) and copper tin lead (1 piece), and believe that these copper ware are divided into more types by composition, and the copper tin lead content in each type varies greatly, indicating that the process and technology of casting copper in the late Yin Shang bashu region are still relatively rough and primitive. The Shang culture style bronze and the local style bronze may use different alloy ratios, which is manifested in the general low tin content in the copper artifact, and the tin material may be slightly insufficient when casting copper, or due to the preciousness of the tin material, the amount of tin used when casting large artifacts is reduced. Some scholars have compared the chemical composition of 31 pieces of bronze artifacts excavated from Yin Ruins with 13 pieces of bronze artifacts excavated from Sanxingdui artifact pits, and the results show that most of the tin-to-lead ratios in Yinxu bronze containers are higher than those of Sanxingdui bronze containers; indicating that the amount of tin used in Yinxu bronze containers is higher than that of Sanxingdui bronze containers, while the amount of lead is lower than that of Sanxingdui. In addition, Sanxingdui and Yin Xu also showed certain differences in the trace elements contained in bronze containers. The zinc content in the copper containers excavated from Sanxingdui is negligible, and below the detection limit of the instrument, the Yinxu copper containers contain zinc in 0.079%-0.287%; the iron content in the Yinxu copper containers is generally high, but the iron content in the Sanxingdui copper containers is very low; the content of other elements such as bismuth, nickel, arsenic and other elements is different. It may indicate that the sources of ore materials in the two places are different. The phenomenon that Samsung reactors do not contain trace amounts of zinc was also mentioned in a previous study.
Sanxingdui copper bell (Yun He Vision courtesy of)
The difference in alloy composition shows the difference in copper making technology, especially in alloy ratios. The difference in trace elements in copper shows the difference in the ore production ground. Combined with the use of copper and the layout of Sanxingdui cultural settlements, there should be no major problems in the production of bronze ware on a certain scale in Sanxingdui. However, there is no clear bronze workshop at present, and the research on the composition testing and casting process of Sanxingdui copper ware has not yet been fully covered, and it is normal for the academic community to have many controversies on related issues.
However, from the perspective of the shape, ornamentation and casting process of copper containers, the copper containers unearthed from Sanxingdui are closely related to shang culture, especially with the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, which is a more consistent understanding in the academic community. Excavators pointed out that the bronze statues, urns, plates and utensil covers excavated from Pit 1 are common artifacts from the upper layer of Erligang to the first phase of Yin Ruins, and the ornamental style of these utensils is the style of typical Shang culture. The I.-III. circular zun shape system excavated from Pit 2 is very close to the Shang culture style; Fang Zun and Fang Wei are also Shang culture zun and Wei unique form system, but the ornamentation has a Shu cultural style, reflecting the gradual integration of Shang culture and Shu culture. Although the basic shape and system of the IV. and V. circular figures excavated from Pit 2 are still in the Shang cultural style, they have shown a strong local style in terms of circle feet and ornamentation. Mr. Zhu Fenghan also pointed out that in addition to the direct connection with the Yin Ruins bronzes in the shape and ornamentation of the vessels such as zun and miao, the various motifs of the ornaments (such as cloud thunder pattern, triangular cloud pattern, "vertical knife" pattern, deformed gluttonous pattern, scale pattern, etc.) and display methods filled on the bronze statues and altars, sacred trees and other utensils are still the forms and styles of yin ruin bronzes. It is speculated that the Sanxingdui bronze casting process was directly influenced by the Yin Ruins bronze process, and it may also be that the merchant's casting craftsmen (or their disciples) directly cast this batch of artifacts, but only followed or absorbed the regional cultural characteristics of the Sanxingdui culture in the styling design. However, many scholars have pointed out that two types of bronze vessels similar to those produced by the Sanxingdui artifact pit are also found in Lu'an, Funan, Hunan, Huarong, Yueyang, Hubei Jiangling, Shashi, Chongqing Wushan and other places. This proves that the communication channel between the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the upper reaches of the Yangtze River is still smooth until the early and middle stages of Yin Xu. In addition to shang culture, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are also an important choice for Sanxingdui culture to exchange with foreign countries. Some scholars have pointed out that some of the Zun and Wei excavated from these sites may be produced in Hunan or Jiangxi and Anhui in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
Through the analysis of lead isotope ratios, some scholars have found that copper statues and containers belong to highly radioactive cause lead, combined with the casting process and alloy composition and other analysis, these two types of bronze are likely to come from the same casting place or by the same group of craftsmen cast to complete. There are quite a few copper statues in pits 1 and 2 with almost identical lead isotope ratios for containers, indicating that these bronzes were cast simultaneously using the same batch of ore. Therefore, some scholars speculate that most of the bronzes with the characteristics of sanxingdui culture may be cast in a very short period of time after foreign craftsmen brought metal ore to Sanxingdui.
It is not difficult to find that in the production of Samsung reactor copper, is it all local production, or only some copper is produced locally? Is it part of the copper produced in the field and imported into the local area, or the foreign craftsmen come to the local production of copperware? Different styles of copper ware specifically where to produce and other questions about the Samsung pile copper ware still need a long period of systematic multidisciplinary research to determine.
Sanxingdui copper qi shape square hole bi (Sanxingdui Museum courtesy photo)
Three
The appearance of a large number of bronzes in the multi-vessel pit of Sanxingdui has always given the impression of suddenness. Although these bronzes may have been cast over a period of time, the casting time does not last long. Why did the Sanxingdui cultural population concentrate on owning and using a large number of bronzes for a not long period of time?
This can be found in part from the fact that after the formation of the Sanxingdui culture, we vigorously sought foreign exchanges, especially to expand its cultural influence to the east. Sanxingdui culture and its eastward influence area can be divided into 5 districts, namely Chengdu Plain Area, Chongqing Wanzhou West Area, Wushan-Badong Area, Zigui-Yidu Area, Jingzhou Area, in addition to the core distribution area - Chengdu Plain, the other 4 areas reflect the obvious characteristics of west and east in the inclusion of Sanxingdui cultural factors. This widespread cultural exchange and its accompanying movement of people may have contributed to the exchange of bronze technology. From the perspective of pottery, the eastward influence of the Sanxingdui culture ended in the Shashi area of Jingzhou in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, which is also the southwest frontier of a large number of early Shang cultural factors in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. It is not difficult to see that the intention of the Eastward Migration of Sanxingdui Cultural Factors is very obvious, that is, to eventually have direct contact with the early Shang culture. Judging from the development process of bronze and jade, the early Shang culture period and the Erlitou cultural period were in the stage of continuous improvement and consolidation of technology, production capacity and the needs of the aristocratic class, and there were not many high-grade items such as bronze ware found in the Sanxingdui culture that could be determined as the early Shang period. However, in the first and second phases of yinxu culture, Sanxingdui culture entered the peak stage of material cultural development. At the same time, the second phase of yinxu culture in the Central Plains entered the first peak of the development of Chinese bronze culture. This similarity between the two regions in the development of bronze culture is intriguing. It can be inferred that the exchange between the Sanxingdui culture and the early Shang culture will certainly have a technical preparation for the production of a large number of bronzes and jades in the early and middle stages of the Later Yinxu Culture. Throughout the Shang Dynasty, the Sichuan Basin maintained close cultural exchanges with the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. This undoubtedly plays an important role in improving the bronze casting technology of the Sanxingdui culture and even including the direct input of finished products. Judging from the bronze artifacts seen in the Sichuan Basin, there are both those who are influenced by the Shang bronze ware in the Central Plains, those who are also influenced by the Panlongcheng type shang culture, and there is also an obvious copper exchange phenomenon with the southern Shaanxi region and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It shows that the Sichuan Basin can obtain the latest information in a timely manner in the exchange of external bronze vessels, which plays a great catalytic role in promoting the arrival of the first peak stage in the history of the development of Bashu bronzes in the Sichuan Basin.
Sanxingdui Ruins No. 2 Sacrifice Pit Part (Sanxingdui Museum Courtesy Photo)
Four
Although there are still many mysteries left by the Sanxingdui culture to the academic community, even the most basic chronology and cultural genealogy research has not yet been finally solved, but with the continuous development of excavation work, the cultural and population information available is gradually increasing, and many questions about the production and use of Sanxingdui people's bronze ware will gradually be solved.
Although the inlaid turquoise bronze plaque ornaments seen in Sanxingdui have certain similarities with the Erlitou cultural counterparts, they also obviously have their own shape characteristics. There are many types of bronze ware in the Erlitou culture, in addition to bronze ornaments, bells, there are tools, weapons, containers, etc., but the Sanxingdui cultural population only chooses the two types of utensils that do not have a practical role in promoting the production field, which may indicate that the positioning of the ruling class of the Sanxingdui cultural population at this time for the function of copperware and other high-grade items is not to promote the development of productive forces, but more to promote the integration of the population and culture, and the excavations of the more late Sanxingdui multi-vessel pit can prove this. The Sanxingdui crowd occupies the most energy in making sacrificial supplies, which is also an important feature of the Sanxingdui civilization. Perhaps it is precisely because the Sanxingdui Kingdom has used the strength of the whole country to maintain the production of its high-grade items to maintain the normal operation of the sacrifice, and thus wasted a lot of manpower and material resources, thus greatly consuming the productive forces. Is there some connection between the central transfer from Sanxingdui to The Sands?
Wooden box excavated from No. 6 sacrifice pit of Sanxingdui site (Courtesy of Sanxingdui Research Institute of Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology)