The Shang Dynasty civilization in China is based on the development of the bronze techniques. A large amount of Shang Dynasty
bronzes, excavated from Jiangxi, Hubei and Henan Provinces, have become a focus of world attention. However,the Sha-ng Dynasty center was located at Zhenzhou and Allyang city areas, Henan Province, where no large copper ores have been found so far. Therefore, where did the huge ore material for casting the bronzes come from? It is an unsettled question paid attention by the archaeologists and scicntists. 35
Shang Dynasty bronzes and 21 copper and lead ore materials aged in the Shang-Zhou Dynasty, the Spring-Autumn Period and the modern time, have been measured by the use of mass spectrometry.Based upon lead
isotopic ratios, the ore material for casting the bronzes with the middle isotopic ratios of 207Pb/206Pb ranged in 0.8～0.9 could come from the ancient copper mine of Tongling, Jiangxi Province and Tong Lushan, Hubei Province and that with the high isotopic ratios (＞0.9) could be from the northern part of the Shang Empire, called "Gongfang" in the historical records, e.g. today's Hebei and LiaoningProvinces. The others with the low isotopic ratios (＜0.8) might originate from poly-metalic deposits, with the high isotopic ratios of 238U/204 Pb in the ore flux or in the magma.