The first discovery of shang period smelting slags with highly radiogenic lead in yingcheng and implications for the shang political economy

Locating the source(s) of the raw material used in the production of Shang bronzes with highly radiogenic lead (HRL) has been one of the most important unresolved issues surrounding metallurgy in early China. In this paper, we demonstrate that the Shang period (ca. 1600–1050 BCE) smelting slags from Yingcheng contain HRL, and the copper ores could have been acquired from Lüzudong and Bukou (6 km and 17 km from Yingcheng, respectively). This is the first discovery of HRL from Shang period smelting slags. In addition, the lead isotope signals from Yingcheng match well with those from Middle Shang period bronzes, indicating the possibility that Laiwu could be a source area for metals with HRL at the time. Our data provide a new direction for exploring the sources of ores for Shang bronzes, which can in turn inform us about the socio-political and economic organization of the Shang state.