Analyzing the Unique Phenomenon of ‘Sword Emphasis’ in Shu Culture: A Lead Isotope Perspective on Willow-Leaf-Shaped Bronze Swords Unearthed from the Shuangyuan Village Cemetery in Chengdu
Yuexuan Li, Yingdong Yang, Dian Chen, Tianyou Wang, Xiaoting Wang, Wugan LuoIntroduction:
The willow-leaf-shaped sword is a distinctive indigenous weapon of the Bashu culture, used during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Despite initial archaeological investigations suggesting the custom of ‘Sword Emphasis’ in the Bashu culture, the unique characteristic of willow- leaf-shaped bronze swords compared to other weapons is still a question worth exploring.
Methods:
In this study, a portable X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer (p-XRF) and multi-receiver inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS) were used to examine willow-leafshaped bronze swords unearthed from Shuangyuan Village Cemetery dating back to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty.
Results:
Our findings reveal that bronze swords found in the same burial are predominantly made by lead resources from the same geochemical province. This distinct pattern is exclusive to willow-leafshaped swords and remained unchanged from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the middle of the Warring States period, despite variations in form. Moreover, willow-leaf-shaped swords exhibit marked disparities from other weapons in terms of their origin, form, quantity, and function. Supporting literature further underscores the historical significance attributed to swords by Bashu's ancestors. The integration of scientific data and archaeological research embodies the cultural tradition of ‘Sword Emphasis,’ highlighting the distinctive status of willow-leaf-shaped swords within the Bashu culture, setting them apart from other weapons such as poleaxes, dagger-axes, and spears.
Conclusion:
This study represents the first attempt to correlate the trend of lead isotope concentration with a distinctive cultural phenomenon specific to ancient Bashu. The phenomenon that bronze swords found in the same burial predominantly with lead resources from the same geochemical province reveals the distinctive characteristic of swords compared to other weapons, which is closely correlated with the tradition of ‘Sword Emphasis’ in ancient Bashu.