Source change of lead materials for mirror-making industry in Western Han, China: evidence from Nanyang bronze mirrors

摘要

The circulation of lead materials has always been a major concern in the Bronze Age archaeology. The source of lead materials for mirror-making industry during the Han Era in China is still not comprehensible. In particular, the change of raw material sources from Western to Eastern Han has not been well explained. In this study, five bronze mirror samples that were excavated from Nanyang City, Henan Province, Central China, were analysed using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectrometer and multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry methods. Further data on Han mirrors from Chang'an and Linzi in China and Japan were collected for a comparative study. The results show that lead ore sources in Western Han were multiple and complex, while those in Eastern Han were dominated by the Lower Yangtze. This type of change had begun to take place in Western Han, not in the transitional period as revealed in previous studies. The present study indicated that Nanyang played a pivotal role as a resource hub in this process.