Scientific study of bronze bells of the Western Zhou period recovered in Yichang, Hubei

Abstract

The invention of yongzhong (甬钟), the major chime-bell type of the Zhou (周) dynasty, has been seen as a key sign for the rise of Zhou ritual. From this perspective, the accidental discovery of 11 bronze bells dated to the Western Zhou period (11th–8th centuries BC) at the Wanfunao (万福垴) site in Yichang, Hubei Province in 2012 is significant for understanding the development of early Chu (楚) culture in Hubei and its relationship with the metropolitan area of the Zhou kingdom in Shaanxi. This paper reports the results of scientific analyses of these bells using an optical microscope, portable XRF, SEM-EDS and ICP-EDS. It is revealed that some of these bells are made of Cu-Sn-As (Sb) alloys, while others are of Cu-Sn alloys. It is argued that the use of arsenic–containing bronzes for casting bells in the Western Zhou period has important social implications, and is significant for exploring the rise of regional bronze production as well as the circulation of metal resources in the Western Zhou period.