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<p>The bronzeworking technology and cultural characteristics of the Shang Dynasty’s northern borderlands remain insufficiently explored, creating gaps in the comprehension of frontier interactions and control mechanisms. To fill these gaps, systematic typological analysis and portable X-ray fluorescence alloy composition testing (pXRF) were conducted on 165 burial bronzes from the Beizhuangzi Tomb Complex, in conjunction with the site’s archaeological context. Findings reveal the bronzes feature high-tin and high-lead alloy compositions, bear striking stylistic resemblances to those from the Yin Ruins, the core area of the Shang Dynasty, exhibit subtle regional variations, and incorporate alloy configurations specific to their functions. It is inferred that these artifacts were crafted by craftsmen proficient in Yin Ruins casting techniques, establishing the tomb complex as a burial site for local military governors and nobles, and reflecting the northern border’s militarized traits at the intersection of pastoral and agricultural cultures. As the first systematic study of the site’s bronzes following its 1991 designation as one of China’s Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries, this research enhances understanding of frontier cultural dynamics, technological transmission and the Shang Dynasty’s administration of peripheral territories.</p>

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Exploration of the Northern border of China’s Shang dynasty: a study based on the bronze ware buried in the Beizhuangzi tomb complex in Hebei Province

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月21日

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  • Bangcheng Tang,
  • Weitao Song,
  • Huimin Wang,
  • Yan Xue,
  • Bo Yuan,
  • Jieyi Zuo,
  • Meng Hong

摘要

The bronzeworking technology and cultural characteristics of the Shang Dynasty’s northern borderlands remain insufficiently explored, creating gaps in the comprehension of frontier interactions and control mechanisms. To fill these gaps, systematic typological analysis and portable X-ray fluorescence alloy composition testing (pXRF) were conducted on 165 burial bronzes from the Beizhuangzi Tomb Complex, in conjunction with the site’s archaeological context. Findings reveal the bronzes feature high-tin and high-lead alloy compositions, bear striking stylistic resemblances to those from the Yin Ruins, the core area of the Shang Dynasty, exhibit subtle regional variations, and incorporate alloy configurations specific to their functions. It is inferred that these artifacts were crafted by craftsmen proficient in Yin Ruins casting techniques, establishing the tomb complex as a burial site for local military governors and nobles, and reflecting the northern border’s militarized traits at the intersection of pastoral and agricultural cultures. As the first systematic study of the site’s bronzes following its 1991 designation as one of China’s Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries, this research enhances understanding of frontier cultural dynamics, technological transmission and the Shang Dynasty’s administration of peripheral territories.