Археология евразийских степей (Oct 2023)
Treasure from the Buduun-Gol River with “Scythian-Type” Cauldrons and “Ding” Ritual Tripods: on the distribution of trophy scrap-metal in the Eurasian steppes
Abstract
The article investigates the problem of the formation of a hoard composed from early bronze “Scythian-type” cauldrons with ring-shape handles and Eastren Zhou ritual tripods "ding", found on the river Buduun-gol in the Khuder sum of the Selenge aimag of Mongolia, not far from the border of the Republic of Buryatia. Previously, tripods "ding" together with a "Scythian-type" cauldrons were found in the "metallurgist's hoard" from Xibozi (Beijing City), which was also left by the some non-Chinese tribe. As shown in the article, the tripods "ding" from both hoards come from the territory of the states of Jin, Qin or from Central Plain. The cauldrons with ring-shape handles with with groove and vertical protrusion found at Buduun-gol most likely also come from a remote area - from Xinjiang. Ritual vessels in Zhou China could not be traded or exchanged due to their sacred significance, and, according to finds of "Scythian-type" cauldrons in China, the tribes that raided the Zhou did not use cauldrons with ring-shaped handles, but cauldrons with arched handles like had been found in Xibozi. Thus, “ding” tripods from both hoards and cauldrons from Buduun-gol were trofy of war captured as secondary metallurgical raw materials. The assumption is confirmed that the robbery of bronze scrap was one of the main goals of the raids of barbarian tribes that shook Zhou China in the 9th–7th centuries BC. The presence of a large amount of lead as a feature of the composition of ancient Chinese bronze makes it possible to preliminarily trace the distribution of trophy scrap metal. An anomalously high lead content was recorded in some Early Iron Age bronze artifacts from Transbaikalia, as well as in a set of bronze horse equipment of the Arzhan-Mayemir period from the Elekmonar II-1 mound (Altai Republic). The future study of the nature of the secondary use of bronzes in the Northern Eurasia has great prospects in the light of the development of new scientific approaches provided knowledge of the chemical composition of ore sources.
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