Abstract
The burial custom of breaking mirrors was prevalent in the Xiongnu culture. But the practical ritual processes, such as whether specific bronze mirrors were deliberately selected and whether they have been heated or burnt, have not been discussed. In this paper, we provide a case study of the Hongshangou tombs in ancient’s Weixu State along the Silk Road, which may shed light on this issue. All five bronze mirrors were analyzed by OM, SEM-EDS, and MC-ICP-MS methods. The results reveal that these mirrors are the common Western Han mirrors from the Central Plains. The metallography shows that there is no sign of heating and the component analysis illustrates that the lead content is comparatively low. This situation is different from the broken mirrors buried in some noble tombs of the Xiongnu tribe.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
