Major and Trace Element Characteristics of Bronze Mirrors Excavated in Linzi and Their Implications for the Study of ‘Jin liuJi’

Linzi was a pivotal bronze mirror production centre during the Western Han dynasty (202 BCE–8 CE). This study analyses 71 excavated bronze mirrors from Linzi via pXRF, PCA, and geometric median statistics to investigate elemental characteristics, ore provenance, and the ‘Jin liuji’ (Six Recipes of Bronze). Their alloy compositions exhibit continuity throughout the Warring States (475 BCE–221 BCE) and Western Han periods and are distinct from those in other regions of China during the same period, suggesting that the ‘Jin liuji’ possesses strong regional characteristics specific to the Qi state. Trace element analysis reveals that the copper ore supply experienced three stages, namely diverse and scattered sources (or recycling) during the Warring States period, a transition during the early Western Han, and a concentrated supply during the middle and late Western Han. This study demonstrates the strong intervention of the Han dynasty’s state economic policies in the allocation of local metal resources, providing empirical evidence for reconstructing the economic control network of the unified empire.