RESEARCH OF CHINESE NORTHERN BRONZES

Research Project

Project/Area Number	07451090
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	考古学(含先史学)
Research Institution	TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM
Principal Investigator	TAKAHAMA Shu TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM,DEPARTMENT OF ORIENTAL ANTIQUITIES,CURATOR OF CHINESE ARCHAEOLOGY SECTION, 学芸部・東洋課, 中国考古室長 (60000353)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	SAOTOME Masahiro TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM,DEPARTMENT OF ORIENTAL ANTIQUITIES,CURATOR OF NORTHEAST AS, 学芸部・東洋課, 北東アジア室長 (80150035) TANI Toyonobu TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM,DEPARTMENT OF ORIENTAL ANTIQUITIES,CURATOR OF NORTHEAST AS, 学芸部・東洋課, 北東アジア室長 (70171824) HIRAO Yoshimitsu TOKYO NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR CULTURAL PROPERTY,DIVISION OF CONSERVATION, 保存科学部, 化学研究室長 (40082812)
Project Period (FY)	1995 – 1997
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 1997)
Budget Amount *help	¥6,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,300,000) Fiscal Year 1997: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000) Fiscal Year 1996: ¥1,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000) Fiscal Year 1995: ¥3,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000)
Keywords	ORDOS / BRONZE / NORTHERN / CHINA / LEAD / ISOTOPE / XIONGNU / NOMADS / スキタイ
Research Abstract	We investigated many Chinese Northern Bronzes in museums and private collections in Tokyo and Kansai districts as well as in Okayama City. The results of those researches were published in the catalog of the exhibition "Mounted Nomads of Asian Steppe--Chinese Northern Bronzes-" which was held at the Equine Museum in Yokohama and at Tokyo National Museum in 1997. We made compositional analysis by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry of about 180 bronzes mainly owned by Tokyo National Museum. Data of compositional analysis of so many Chinese Northern Bronzes have not been published before. Lead isotope ratio measurements, which were also conducted of more than 50 pieces out of the 180 pieces, gave significant results. Groups of bronzes, each dated typologically to the Shang period, the Western Zhou period, the Upper Xiajiadian Culture, the Eastern Zhou period of Hebei province, the Western Han period and the Eastern Han period, gave different gradient measurements each, verifying that those typological considerations are valid. Also the result showed that the lead of each group had different provenance. Most series of the gradient measurements agreed with bronzes of central China of each period, which seems to indicate that Chinese lead was employed also in China's Northern Frontier. The lead of the Shang period northern bronzes, however, gave different gradient measurements from any series known before. This result can be very important for the study of early bronze cultures of East Asia. Chinese Northern Bronzes are classified into many categories according to periods and areas, only several of which were covered this time in terms of lead isotope ratio measurements. We hope to continue examining many more Chinese Northern Bronzes in order to know specific inclinations to each category, and by so doing eventually elucidate the problems concerning the origin and the spread of bronze cultures in Eurasian Steppes and East Asia.