Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia 53 (1) 2025   doi:10.17746/1563-0110.2025.53.1.064-073

Annotation:  The Peopling of Uzbekistan by Homo sapiens denisovan Microblade Production in the Sukhotino-4 Industry, Eastern Transbaikalia Masks and Sculptured Human Heads in Early Neolithic Complexes of Northern Mesopotamia Shell of Tritia nitida Sea Snail from a Neolithic Burial at the Ust-Aleyka-5 Flat Burial Ground, Bar A Neolithic Burial in the Northern Upper Ob Basin A Study of Seima-Turbino Bronze Artifacts Discovered in China Metal Production of Andronovo Communities and Farmers of Central Asia and Iran: Stages of Developme Antimony Ornaments, Votive and Ritual Items of the Koban Culture in the Caucasus as a Historical So Burial of a Warrior in the Pazyryk Mound at Khankharinsky Dol, Altai A Tes Stage Mound-Vault at Skalnaya-5, Khakassia “Angular” and “Trestle” Forts in 17th to Early 18th Century Russia Ritual Structures in the Volga and Ural Regions, Based on Findings of the Peter Simon Pallas Expedit A Relative in Bearskin: The Bear in Lower Amur Folk Beliefs Reminiscences of Traditional Prayer Rituals in Modern Udmurt Culture Digital Forensic Analysis of Tooth Wear in Prehistoric and Modern Humans   

A Study of Seima-Turbino Bronze Artifacts Discovered in China

Liu Xiang¹ and Jiang Jiayi²

¹China-Central Asia "Belt and Road" Joint Laboratory on Human and Environment Research, School of Cultural Heritage, Northwest University, No. 229 Taibai Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710069, China

²Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Cultural Heritage Bureau, No. 312 Renmin Road, Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 830017, China

We describe Seima-Turbino artifacts from museum collections and sites in China—two spearheads from the Gansu Provincial Museum and two daggers from the Tianshui Museum. The composition of metal was analyzed. Spearheads are made of copper with minor additions, and daggers are made of bronze. The shape of the latter is identical to that of the specimens from Sopka-2/4B. Their type and technology suggests that they were not made by people of the Qijia culture, but were imported by the Seima-Turbino people. Typology and chronology of daggers and spearheads from China are examined. Parallels with those from Western Siberia are listed. We conclude that ties between the cultures of Qijia and Seima-Turbino date to 2200-2000 BC, and the origin of metallurgy in China was intrinsically linked to that phenomenon.

Keywords: Tianshui, spearheads, daggers, Qijia culture, Seima-Turbino phenomenon, chemical composition