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The oldest extant musical instruments in the world are stone chimes. This music was created by the ‘eight tones’ that could be produced by these ‘stone’ voices. Although many of these stone chimes have been unearthed from sites predating the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period in China, their discussion in archaeological reports is usually not very thorough. In this paper, the ancient and modern samples are analysed from the point of view of lithology. The aim is to explore how the ancients chose to make these stones, and to check that the type of stone from which these ancient Chinese stone chimes are made is actually those recorded in previous studies. The results show that most of the ancient stone chimes in China are made of limestone. These chimes required a material with a single, homogeneous and compact mineral composition. Lingbi chimes (a kind of ‘lithophone’ produced in Lingbi county, China, are pure in composition and have a fine microcrystalline structure, which is the best choice for making stone chimes. This paper makes a systematic study of the lithology of Chinese stone chimes. The results supplement a significant lacuna in the study of ‘lithophone’ and ancient stone instruments both in China and on a more global scale.

AbstractIn the present study, we analyzed seven wooden bows and 13 arrows excavated from the cemeteries of Subeixi Culture (13th century BCE–AD second century) in the Turpan Basin, northwest China. A total of six taxa, viz. Morus sp., Salix sp., Picea sp., Lonicera sp., Betula sp., and Tamarix sp. were identified. Some of these taxa have been generally accepted to be suitable for bow‐and‐arrow production. All these taxa were local in origin but distributed in different ecotonal zones, including oases, saline‐alkali lands, and mountain areas. Previous archaeological studies have confirmed that the Subeixi populations lived an agro‐pastoral life. By analyzing the possible provenance of these wood samples, it can be hypothesized that these ancient agro‐pastoralists moved between the Turpan Basin and the Tianshan Mountains on a seasonal basis.

The bodies and glazes of 27 early Western Zhou proto‐porcelain samples from Yejiashan cemetery, Hubei Province, were analysed using LA‐ICP–AES, SEM, XRD, a thermal expansion instrument and other analytical methods. The results indicated that the bodies of all samples were characterized by high silicon and low aluminium, and were made with porcelain stone raw materials found in the south of China. The glazes are typical of high‐temperature calcium glazes of the CaO (MgO) – K2O (Na2O) – Al2O3 – SiO2 series, with relatively high Mn and P content, which was probably caused by the addition of plant ashes. The physical properties and phase compositions of Yejiashan proto‐porcelain show that firing processes were still in the early stages of development in ancient China. Multivariate statistical analyses indicated that Yejiashan proto‐porcelain might have come from the Deqing area, in Zhejiang Province. These results provide new archaeological evidence for research on issues related to material flow in the Western Zhou dynasty.

Non‐invasive materials characterisation of reconstructed statues of Emperor Qin Shihuang's Terracotta Army has revealed distinct micro‐geochemical patterning within the clay paste used in their manufacture. The significance of this is explored in terms of the production sequence, logistics and supply‐chain management involved in the construction of this enormous funerary assemblage. Of particular interest is a compositional distinction between figures marked with the names ‘Gong’ (宫) and ‘Xianyang’ (咸阳). These seem to represent the products of two workshops involved in the supply of ceramic objects for this ambitious, large‐scale building project undertaken by the Qin Empire during the third centurybce.

Research on ancient Longquan wares and their imitations has attracted considerable attention. Using a series of experimental methods, including micro X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy (μ‐XRF), X‐ray diffractometry (XRD), optical microscopy (OM), polarizing microscopy (PLM), dilatometry (DIL) and spectrophotometery, different samples of Longquan imitations from Dapu in Guangdong Province were collected and analysed. The study of different types of celadon from the Dapu kiln factories shows that the pale yellow body had a higher TFe2O3 content, and the body material must therefore have been treated differently or have come from a different source. The SiO2 and Al2O3 contents in the body can be used as auxiliary parameters to identify Longquan wares and its imitations. The study also found that both kinds of glaze recipe—including calcium–alkali glaze and alkali–calcium glaze—existed in the Dapu products, which suggested that while imitating Longquan ware, the potters in Dapu also showed innovation in the recipe for the glaze material. Moreover, there were some differences in the TFe2O3 content, as well as the size, number and distribution of bubbles in the different types of glaze. Finally, the study revealed that the material of both the saggars and separators were composed of another porcelain clay, different from that of the celadon body. In addition, the white and compact body of the celadon had a higher firing temperature, of 1140–1187 °C, compared with other types of wares, which had a lower firing temperature of 1050–1080 °C.

Stone knives were used widely in Neolithic East Asia, presumably in the harvesting of grain crops, but their function has not been clearly understood due to the lack of study of residues from these tools. To address this issue, starch grain analysis was employed to study the residues on the surface of ancient stone knives and large amounts of starches were recovered. The sources of these starches, however, were not well understood, because harvesting of crops involves the cutting of stems rather than direct contact with starchy seeds. To determine whether harvesting could deposit these types of residues, we designed a simulation experiment using stone flakes to harvest ears of wheat, rice and foxtail millet, then analysed the residues on both the flakes and in the plant tissues. A large number of starch grains were found in the stems, including both typical morphotypes from seeds and newly described types that occur only in stems, which can be used as indicators of harvesting. Our study demonstrates that starch grains from residues on the surfaces of archaeological stone knives can indicate not only that the tools were used to harvest ears, but also the type of crops harvested.

The flexible sponge/epoxy composite can wrap underwater artefacts in any shape and forms a protective shell after curing, thus effectively wrapping and reinforcing the artefacts. However, the hydroscopicity of the sponge itself limits the underwater application of the sponge/epoxy composite. In this study, a novel polyurethane sponge was prepared by modified with super‐hydrophobic multi‐wall carbon nanotubes (SH‐MWCNTs@PU sponge). Compared with the pristine PU sponge, the water‐contact angle on the surface of SH‐MWCNTs@PU sponges increased from 103.3 ± 1.82 to 152.6 ± 1.54o, and oily epoxy resin was able to cover the surface completely. The study shows that when SH‐MWCNTs@PU sponges/epoxy resin composite material is used underwater, it prevents both water from entering the sponge and also the inside epoxy resin from overflowing into the water. Moreover, the composite materials have excellent toughness after reinforcement under water (flexural strength = 3.56 MPa) and the soft sponges can be moulded to wrap any type of underwater artefacts. In the laboratory, when taking a broken, three‐dimensional blue‐and‐white porcelain pot as a research subject, the entire retrieval process—temporary stabilization, packaging, extraction and reinforcement material removal—was simulated to evaluate systematically all the technological aspects of safely excavating fragile underwater relics.

Yelang (夜郎), a mysterious state located in the south‐western area of early China and dating from the Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age (1300 bc – ad 25), is a cultural interactive junction between the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau and the Yangtze River Basin. The Zhongshui Basin in Weining County, Guizhou Province, was one of the important distribution areas of the Yelang civilization. This area, which includes sites at Jigongshan (鸡公山; 1300 – 800 bc), Hongyingpan (红营盘; 700 – 400 bc) and Yinzitan (银子坛; 400 bc – ad 25), has provided a very integrated chronology, spanning from the Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age in the eastern Yunnan – western Guizhou area. To investigate human migration and horse‐trading at these Yelang sites, we conducted a strontium isotopic analysis on the teeth enamel of humans and horses unearthed from these three sites. The results indicated the following: (1) people at the earlier sites (Jigongshan and Hongyingpan) were all indigenous, whereas in the Yinzitan cemetery, there was a more immigrant population, and all the people who were buried in an upper limb flexed supine position were non‐local; and (2) most of the horses found at the Jigongshan and Yinzitan sites show different provenances, probably related to the famous Dian (滇) and Zuo (筰) horses recorded in historical documents, providing more clues for further study on horse‐trading in South‐West China during the Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age.