Preliminary Exploration on the Evolution and Circulation Pattern of the Highly Radiogenic Lead Resources in the Shang Dynasty

The internal evolution of highly radiogenic lead resources in Shang dynasty is basically synchronous among regions. Our study introduces the general evolution laws of highly radiogenic lead resources among the Central Plains and its surrounding areas through Shang dynasty, and divides highly radiogenic lead resources into two groups. HRL(A) is represented by Erligang bronzes unearthed in Zhengzhou and Panlongcheng, and HRL(B) mainly includes bronzes from Huanbei. Anyang, the Loess Plateau, and Sanxingdui all have located these two sets of data. The phenomenon that the utilization and transition of highly radiogenic lead resources in the core, semi-periphery and periphery areas of Shang culture are basically in sync implies that this special resource has a single source. The simple core-edge model can’t explain the complex interaction between Shang and surrounding bronze civilizations. There seems to be no model that is only influenced by the core areas of Shang culture. Especially during the late Shang dynasty, the previous pattern was broken and reorganized, some peripheral areas rose to become new regional centers. This study reveals the regional characteristics behind “Erligang style” in early Shang dynasty, as well as the internal relations behind various “regional style” in the late Shang dynasty.