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Sort By Time:	Xia-Shang Dynasty \| Western Zhou Dynasty \| Spring-Autumn & Warring States \| Qin-Han Dynasty \| Sui-Tang Dynasty \| After Tang Dynasty
Sort By Type:	Cooking Wares \| Food Containers \| Wine Wares \| Water Wares \| Instruments \| Weaponry \| Copper Mirrors \| Others
Bronze was a great invention in the history of human beings.It was a kind of alloy,made of red copper,tin and lead,and it was also the earliest alloy of making metal.It was prevailing after the invention,and from then on,human beings came into a new age Bronze Age. It was a long history that Chinese people used copper.About 6000-7,000 years ago,Chinese ancestors discovered copper and began to use it.Comparing with West and South Asia and North Afirica which came into the Bronze Age before 6,500 years,it was a bit late that in China,the Age came.But our age came seperately.Because in China,there was a period that both copper and stone were used about 4,500~5,000 years ago.So it was wrong to say the age came from other country.For the ancient kingdoms in China,the most important things were sacrificing and war.So bronze was used most to such things.What we have found today made in Xia,Shang and Zhou dynasties,the bronze were for these things.This is diffrent from other country.This feature formed a unique system in China.Generally speaking,in China,bronze history had three period.Then is the detail about it. (1)Forming period About 4,500~5,000 years ago,ancient books record people had begun to make bronze ware.We found bronze utensils from the relics of Longshan culture beside the Yellow river and Changjiang.The features of that time are:1.Red copper and bronze exsisted together and yellow copper appeared.We have found a bronze knife from Lin family relics of Gansu province.And we also found other bronze products from other places.2.Bronze ware was rare,and daily things were the most,for example knife,circle,mirror and decrations.But we should say,at that time people could make containers.3.Normal people used bronze too.Beside this,the products at that time were plain. (2)Prosperous period: It was Chinse Bronze Age including Xia,Shang,Western Zhou,the Spring and Autume period and early Warring stage.It was 1,600 years.In this period,bronze wares were divided into three kinds:ceremonial things and instruments,weaponry and others.At this time,the instruments were mostly used in sacrificing activities.And ceromonial things were mostly used in the activities of memorizing ancestors.They were desplayed in the ancestral hall or used to drink or washing.Sone were especially used in funeral.Bronze ceremonial things were sacred,they couldn't be used in normal ceremonies.Among all the bronze things,the amount of the ceremonial things was most,and they were the most delicate.The ceremonial things and instruments could represent the highset level of Chinese bronze technique.Ceremorial things included cooking things,eating things,water container,wine cup and the figures of gods.At that time,the decration was very delicate,and had a lot of kinds.The most common decration was animal vein.It first appeared in Liangzhu culture along Changjiang river 5,000 years ago.Longshan culture handed down.A21The animal vein itself was mysterious.And we could find it in the Xia culture.and popular in the Shang and Zhou culture,the kinds included tiger,dragon,deer,sheep,ox,bird and human beings.In Western Zhou dynasty,the mystery disappeared.Dragon and phoenix were mostly used.Some designs were derived from them.Cicada vein was common in Shang and Western Zhou dynasties.And there were deformed cicada vein in Spring and Autumn period.In Sping and Autumn period,dragon vein became popular and other kinds of veins disappeared gradually.Another feature of our ancient bronze was the technique.The craftsmen made the bronze things meticulously.Adding decration to make the things beautiful appeared early.First people added a kind of green precious stone,which was still used in mordern society.The second was jade,then iron,then red copper.In Spring and Autumn period,gold and silker were also used to decorate.In Eastern Zhou,smelting technique developped quickly.Because of the war,making weaponery became popular,and there were some famous people who made sharp swords,such as Ganjiang and Ouzhizi.Some swords were buried under the earth for thousands years,they still cut several papers which were put together.Another feature of bronze things were no portrait was found.The face of people on the bronze things was not a real person's face.There were writings on the bronze things,called Jin writing.Our ancestors believed the bronze things were solid and could be handed down,so they engraved important events in writing.We could observe the writing to research ancient culture. (3)Changing period:It refers to a period from the end of Warring stage to the end of Han dynasty.Through hundreds years' war and politic,economic and culture reform,feudal society began,people used iron a lot.Every level of the society was changed a lot.Bronze things were used in daily life,but some smart bronze things were very good.In the end of Eastern ZHou,ceramics was developped a lot and took an more and more important role in the society.Bronze things disappeared gradually.

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2011-08-25

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