Bronze Age Chinese Iron Weapon Fragments Analyzed

SICHUAN PROVINCE, CHINA—According to a Phys.org report, Haichao Li of Sichuan University led a team of researchers in the analysis of fragments of iron discovered in southwestern China at the Sanxingdui site, a city occupied between 2800 and 600 B.C. So far, eight sacrificial pits containing metal objects such as bronze masks, trees, and figurines have been excavated at the site. The three iron fragments, which appear to have been parts of an ax-like weapon, were discovered in Pit 7. Because this object was found in the sacrificial area, the researchers suggest that it had ritual significance. Metallographic and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analysis of the metal confirmed that the weapon had been made of iron before iron smelting was widely practiced in China. The researchers also noted that the chemical homogeneity of the iron used to make the weapon would have been difficult to achieve with the technology available at the time, suggesting that the iron's source was a meteorite. “While the SEM-EDS results provide preliminary insights, they are insufficient to definitively classify the specific type of meteorite…the precise classification, therefore, remains unresolved,” explained Zishu Yang of Sichuan University. The team members plan to refine their study of the metal and compare it with known meteor falls in the region. For more on Sanxingdui, go to "The Many Faces of the Kingdom of Shu."