Early bronze metallurgy at Guniushan City site in the lower Yangtze River, Anhui Province, China

This paper is the scientific analysis of metallurgical relics from a city site in the mining and smelting heritage area of Southern Anhui during the Bronze Age. The samples from the Guniushan city site have been collected from archeological excavations and field surveys, with two types products of copper and tin-bronze. The significance of the metallurgical history of the Guniushan city site was also examined to deepen insights into local technology dissemination and culture interaction, acquisition and circulation of raw materials, and regional administration and industry pattern through the exploration of intrinsic connections between the city site and metallurgical civilization in Southern Anhui. Not only does this study reflect bronze metallurgy at the site, but it also proves essential for reconstructing the relationship between city sites in the lower Yangtze River and the flourishing mining and metallurgical industry in Southern Anhui during the Zhou Dynasty (ca. 1100 BC ~ 300 BC).