A Study of the origin of binary high-tin bronze technique emerging at Deccan plateau in megalithic period

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25370904
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Archaeology
• Research Institution: Kashihara Archaeological Institute , Nara prefecture
• Principal Investigator: Shimizu Yasuji 奈良県立橿原考古学研究所, その他部局等, 指導研究員 (90250381)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): MIYAHARA Shinichi 奈良県立橿原考古学研究所, 調査部, 調査部長 (90250373) ; AOYAGI Taisuke 奈良県立橿原考古学研究所, 調査部・調査課, 係長 (60270774) ; NAGAE Takekazu 富山大学, 芸術文化学部, 教授 (60443420)
• Research Collaborator: Uesugi Akinori ; SAITO Tsutomu ; NAKAMURA Toshio ; ODA Hirotaka
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 二元系高錫青銅 / 銅鋺 / デカン高原 / 佐波理

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We studied about the origin binary high-tin bronze technique that was introduced into Japan, called sahari. The oldest binary high-tin bronze vessels are excavated from megalithic burials at Deccan plateau in India, which belongs to the first half of millennium B.C. After we drew figures and took the photos of them, we took the samples for scientific analysis. At first, we searched for binary high-tin bronzes by metallographic analysis. Then we analyzed them by lead isotope method in order to determine their production areas. And we made an archeological chronology about megalithic burials at Deccan plateau by metal objects. We are checking it by radiocarbon dating about iron objects excavated from megalithic burials.
Though we couldn’t determine the birthplace of the binary high-tin bronze technique, we will find out the conclusion after the comparing study about binary high-tin bronzes of South-east Asia and Central Asia.

Free Research Field

考古学