Copper was one of the first metals discovered and used by humanity. The mining, smelting, and casting technologies of copper-based artifacts, best exemplified by bronze, have become a defining symbol of outstanding traditional Chinese culture. On November 25, the School of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage of Zhengzhou University released its latest findings in the Yangtze River basin. The two bronze wares, a bronze arrowhead and a bronze rod-shaped instrument, unearthed at the Gouwan site in Xichuan county of Nanyang city, Central China's Henan province, can be traced back approximately 4,500 years. This makes them the earliest known bronze artifacts ever unearthed in the Yangtze River basin, pushing the region's bronze-casting history back to the late Qujialing Culture period.

铜是最早被人类认识和使用的金属之一，以青铜为代表的铜器采冶和铸造技术已成为中华优秀传统文化的鲜明象征之一。11月25日，郑州大学考古与文化遗产学院公布了关于长江流域青铜器的最新研究——在河南淅川沟湾遗址出土的青铜镞和青铜棒形器为距今约4500年的青铜铸件，这是长江流域迄今发现的最早青铜器，将长江中游的冶金史上溯至屈家岭文化晚期。

Both the two bronze wares were unearthed from the late Qujialing Culture layer. The bronze arrowhead is typical of those from the same period. It now measures 3.66 cm in length, featuring a flat cross-section and distinct casting marks. The bronze rod-shaped instrument is cylindrical in form, measuring 6.45 cm in length, with clearly visible casting holes. Both artifacts display clearly visible casting seams on their surfaces.

此次研究的两件青铜器物均出土于屈家岭文化晚期地层，青铜镞形制与同期石镞一致，残长3.66厘米，横截面呈扁平状，可见铸造痕迹；青铜棒形器为亚圆柱形残件，长6.45厘米，器身存在明显铸造孔隙。两件器物外表可见明显范缝。

Bronze arrowhead

According to the team leader from the School of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage of Zhengzhou University, both artifacts were made from a Cu-Sn-Pb ternary alloy. The high levels of impurity elements, along with the loose and porous texture, suggest that the raw materials were directly smelted from multi-metal ores, reflecting the primitive nature of early metallurgical technology. The latest findings have been published in Archaeological Research in Asia, an international academic journal.

郑州大学考古与文化遗产学院研究团队负责人介绍，团队通过金相检验、微区成分分析、元素分析等方法确认，两件器物均为铜锡铅三元合金铸造而成。较多的杂质元素与疏松多孔的质地，表明原料应是直接使用多金属共生矿冶炼而成，反映出早期冶金技术的原始特征。目前，相关研究成果已在线发表于国际学术期刊Archaeological Research in Asia。

"As early representatives of China's bronze civilization, both the artifacts provide new material for studying the origin, spread, and development of metal-casting techniques." According to the team leader, while early bronze remains in China have mostly been found in the Northwest and North, the discovery of these two wares not only confirms that bronze-casting tools had already appeared in the Yangtze River basin during the late Qujialing Culture, but also pushes the casting history in the middle Yangtze River back some 4,500 years. This suggests that the casting history of the Yangtze River basin may have parallels with that of the North, providing valuable evidence for reexamining the multiple origins of China's early bronze civilization.

“这两件青铜器是中华灿烂青铜文明的早期代表，为研究冶金技术的起源、传播和发展提供了新的材料。”研究团队负责人表示，此前，中国早期青铜遗存多发现于西北地区、北方地区，此次发现，不仅证实了长江中游地区在屈家岭文化晚期已出现了青铜铸件，还将长江中游早期冶金的时间上限推至4500年前。这也说明，长江流域与北方地区在冶金技术探索上可能处于同步发展状态，为重构中国早期冶金文明的多元起源格局提供了重要材料和支撑。

Bronze rod-shaped object

Located in Xichuan county, the Gouwan site was excavated by an archaeological team from Zhengzhou University between 2007 to 2009 to facilitate the construction of the Danjiangkou Reservoir, the source of the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. At the site, a prehistoric settlement was discovered for the first time in the middle Hanshui River basin. In addition, remains reflecting the Central Plain cultures, including the Yangshao Culture and the third phase of Wangwan Culture, as well as cultures from the Yangtze and Hanshui Rivers, such as the Qujialing and Shijiahe Cultures, were also unearthed. These findings reflect interactions between China's northern and southern regions and provide valuable evidence for understanding the development of a diverse yet integrated civilization. The site was selected as one of Henan's Top 5 Archaeological Discoveries in 2008.

沟湾遗址位于河南省淅川县上集镇张营村沟湾组东。2007年至2009年，为配合南水北调中线工程丹江口水库建设，郑州大学考古系对沟湾遗址进行了考古发掘。遗址首次发现了汉水中游地区具有环壕设施的史前聚落，遗址属于中原系统的仰韶和王湾三期文化与源自江汉系统的屈家岭文化和石家河文化交替出现，呈现出鲜明的南北交融特征，为深入理解多元一体的文明化进程提供了重要资料。该遗址曾入选2008年度河南省五大考古新发现。（中文来源/河南日报 记者/樊雪婧 编译/杨佳欣 审校/焦丹 赵汉青）

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