Copper alloy production in the Warring States period (475-221 BCE) of the Shu state: a metallurgical study on copper alloy objects of the Baishoulu cemetery in Chengdu, China

Li, Haichao; Zuo, Zhiqiang; Cui, Jianfeng; Tian, Jianbo; Yang, Yingdong; Yi, Li; Zhou, Zhiqing; Fan, Jianan

doi:10.1186/s40494-020-00412-0

Heritage Science

Table 2 Results of ICP-AES analysis of samples from Baishoulu cemetery

From: Copper alloy production in the Warring States period (475-221 BCE) of the Shu state: a metallurgical study on copper alloy objects of the Baishoulu cemetery in Chengdu, China

Object's number	Type	CG	Alloy types	Sn	Pb	As	Sb	Ag	Ni	Fe	Zn	Se	Te	Au	Bi
BS1	Knife	4	Cu–Sn–Pb	18.2	3.6	164	< DL	1723	59	12,428	< DL	220	297	< DL	880
BS2	Vessel fragment	7	Corroded	25.3	0.2	220	1440	1008	< DL	3367	< DL	< DL	273	< DL	400
BS3	Chariot bell	7	Cu–Sn–Pb	17.1	6.8	81	2460	2212	< DL	371	< DL	< DL	284	< DL	370
BS4	Sword	4	Cu–Sn–Pb	13.8	2.3	117	680	2316	50	5091	< DL	83	231	< DL	550
BS5	Knife	1	Cu–Sn–Pb	19.2	5.4	< DL	< DL	< DL	< DL	13,504	< DL	474	297	< DL	472
BS6	Spear	4	Cu–Sn–Pb	11.6	15.4	113	142	2216	< DL	1461	< DL	255	144	< DL	479
BS7	Vessel	1	Cu–Sn–Pb	12.3	4.9	230	< DL	756	282	10,291	< DL	689	229	< DL	243
BS8	Axe	7	Cu–Sn–Pb	14.6	4.6	157	844	4073	< DL	756	< DL	< DL	97	< DL	551
BS9	Sword	7	Cu–Sn–Pb	4.0	23.5	222	2691	3591	91	18,384	177	240	371	171	336
BS10	Sword	7	Cu–Sn–Pb	13.0	6.6	165	1542	3260	57	2452	< DL	89	209	< DL	397
BS11	Knife	4	Cu–Pb	1.0	3.1	< DL	< DL	4696	< DL	6209	< DL	< DL	486	< DL	534
BS12	Vessel fragment	7	Cu–Sn–Pb	12.8	17.3	68	983	2273	75	11,877	< DL	< DL	405	< DL	415
BS13	Vessel fragment	4	Cu–Sn–Pb	10.0	6.2	87	813	1719	< DL	1855	< DL	245	221	< DL	327
BS14	Saw	7	Cu–Sn–Pb	13.6	3.3	109	1233	2771	< DL	2836	< DL	< DL	275	< DL	446
BS15	Spear	7	Corroded	22.1	2.6	251	2338	1854	< DL	10,456	< DL	198	392	< DL	579
BS16	Vessel fragment	7	Corroded	24.1	2.7	363	1823	2094	70	10,781	< DL	463	57	< DL	756
BS17	Knife	4	Cu–Sn–Pb	10.1	5.9	61	609	2726	< DL	979	< DL	< DL	311	< DL	456
BS18	Sword	7	Cu–Sn–Pb	14.9	6.1	444	1090	1521	78	4351	< DL	1960	510	< DL	602
BS19	Spear	7	Corroded	23.2	4.2	329	2654	2999	78	15,016	< DL	671	447	< DL	410
BS20	Knife	7	Corroded	24.5	4.8	151	844	4691	< DL	15,178	< DL	< DL	233	< DL	682
BS21	Vessel's grid	4	Cu–Pb	1.0	8.6	< DL	< DL	1442	< DL	977	< DL	< DL	318	< DL	276
BS22	Vessel	7	Corroded	26.0	17.1	172	3818	5572	232	11,302	< DL	< DL	217	58	610
BS23	Knife	4	Cu–Pb	0.5	4.1	< DL	< DL	3296	< DL	3721	< DL	220	357	< DL	292
BS24	Knife	4	Cu–Sn–Pb	4.6	16.9	< DL	< DL	6217	73	2205	< DL	< DL	324	68	487
BS25	Bangle	1	Cu–Sn	5.3	0.2	191	817	364	< DL	6200	< DL	< DL	382	< DL	337
BS26	Bangle	3	Cu–Sn	8.9	0.5	309	1592	744	< DL	5251	< DL	< DL	657	< DL	568
BS27	Dagger-axe	7	Cu–Sn–Pb	12.1	5.4	249	13,316	3526	53	1780	< DL	< DL	245	< DL	456
BS28	Dagger-axe	7	Cu–Sn–Pb	17.7	8.2	133	2088	2345	87	4509	< DL	452	120	< DL	478

Sn and Pb (wt%), other elements (μg/g), ‘CG’ represent ‘Copper Groups’, ‘ < DL’ represent ‘Below detection limit’

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