Books by Quanyu Wang

The Newcastle-led Bronze Age Combat project presents its results from innovative combat experiments with replica Bronze Age swords, spears and shields. The original experimental methodologies used authentic replica weapons in extensive rigorous field experiments, and actualistic combat based on historical manuscripts. These allowed for replicate combat-related wear marks as found on original Bronze Age specimens. Bronze Age Combat provides a full account of the methodologies, replicas, experiments and results in unprecedented detail. By bringing together a range of experimental techniques, materials and expertise, this book is designed as a starting point and reference collection for further studies into Bronze Age combat research, metalwork wear analysis and experimental archaeology.

Compositional data on bronze artefacts of the European Chalcolithic and Bronze Age are now quite numerous. This study differs in that it indicates how the bronzes were made: hammered into shape or cast, the moulds, the cooling processes, and after casting techniques. The authors focus on the microstructure and behaviour of archaeologically relevant alloys cast with materials likely to have been accessible in the Chalcolthic and Early Bronze Age of Europe. In order to compile a reference collection for the determination of ancient production methods of cast bronze artefacts, a series of casting experiments with archaeologically relevant alloys was carried out in the University of Sheffield. Bronze flat axes, characteristic of the European Chalcolithic to Bronze Age periods, were cast in moulds of sand, clay and bronze. The composition of the bronze, the moulding material and the cooling method after casting were systematically varied under controlled conditions. The microstructure, dendritic arm spacing or grain size and microhardness of the cast metals were studied on each casting. The malleability of the metals was also investigated by cold-rolling and annealing processes. All figures and a selection of photomicrographs are printed in black and white in this volume. They are reproduced in colour in the online download. There is one plate of colour photomicrographs in chapter 9. The complete series of colour photomicrographs for bronzes cast in sand moulds is given in appendix 2, that for bronzes cast in clay moulds is in appendix 3 and that for bronzes cast in bronze moulds is in appendix 4. The photomicrographs of the series of cold-working and annealing are given in appendix 5. All sample numbers discussed in this volume, with their composition and cooling regimes, are given in appendix 6.

The subject of Dr Wang's research is the technical study of excavated bronze fragments from the site of Tianma-Qucun, situated in southwest Shanxi province, China. The site was identified as an early capital of the Jin state in the periods of the Western Zhou and early 'Spring and Autumn' (i.e. 1027-650 BC). This study of 47 fragments provides new metallurgical data on Jin bronzes, specifically on casting techniques and the deterioration of these bronzes in their burial environment (corrosion study helps guide investigative cleaning and conservation treatment). Comparing bronzes from the elite tombs with those from other graves reveals social differences within the Jin culture. The main chapters cover a general review of the Bronze Age; descriptions of the Tianma-Qucun site; project methodology; analysis; corrosion reports; alloy composition. Technical data for the samples are reported in the catalogue and the accompanying CD, which allows full-colour viewing.