Lead isotope and metal source of Shang bronzes: a response to Sun et al.'s comments. (3rd July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, S. R.; Chen, K. L.; Rehren, Th.; Mei, J. J.; Chen, J. L.; Liu, Y.; Killick, D.
• Is Part Of: Archaeometry. Volume 60:Number 5(2018)
• Page Start: 1040
• Page End: 1044
• Publication Date: 2018-07-03
• Subjects: Lead isotopes -- Highly radiogenic lead -- Shang bronze -- Provenance; Archaeometry -- Periodicals; Archaeology -- Expertising -- Periodicals; 930.1
• DOI: 10.1111/arcm.12411
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-813X

Abstract

Abstract : In this brief response to Sun et al.'s (2018 ) comments on our paper, we re‐emphasize that archaeological, chemical and isotopic evidence are all relevant to the discussion about the metal source of the Shang period with highly radiogenic lead isotope ratios. The southern African bronzes have much lower lead contents and quite different lead isotopic signatures than the Shang bronzes. More importantly, there was no metallurgy of any kind in southern Africa before c .200ce, so southern Africa cannot possibly be the source of Shang bronze, which date to about 1500 to 1000bce .