Bronze workshop unearthed along the Yangtze

BY WANG KAIHAO    |    CHINA DAILY    |     UPDATED: 2026-04-07 09:33

Ancient bronze wares unearthed at the Shenduntou site, dating to the Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-256 BC), in Anhui province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Visitors to Chinese museums often admire ancient bronze wares for their beauty and their role in rigid ritual systems that shaped early Chinese civilization.

Yet, beyond their green patina and artistic refinement lies a more practical truth: bronze was once a strategic resource, central to livelihoods and the stability of the state.

Recent archaeological work at the Shenduntou site in Anhui province, near the southern bank of the Yangtze River, brings that reality into sharper focus. Over the past two years, excavations have uncovered around 1,000 artifacts linked to a bronze-casting industry dating back more than 2,500 years.

At first glance, many of the finds — simple-looking bronze knives, axes, spades, arrowheads, and broken components of furnaces and clay molds — may seem modest compared with the heavy ritual vessels displayed in museums. But these objects offer something arguably more valuable: crucial evidence of how bronze was produced, distributed, and managed on a large scale.

Located in Fanchang district of Wuhu city in southern Anhui, the site covers nearly 80,000 square meters.

Archaeologists have excavated just 1,600 square meters, but the discoveries have already proved insightful. It marks the first time a large-scale bronze-casting site from the Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-256 BC) has been uncovered along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

"The discovery of numerous bronze-casting remains proves this was a high-level workshop," says Wang Zhigao, an archaeology professor at Nanjing Normal University, who is leading the project.

According to him, the site provides valuable physical evidence of a complete "state-controlled" system of bronze smelting and casting in southern Anhui. It sheds light on how governments managed metal resources, a key factor in maintaining power.

"In that era, bronze technology represented national strength, and the industry was strictly managed by governments," Wang explains.

"Whoever controlled bronze could produce superior weapons and tools."

This level of control is reflected in the site's layout. Furnaces and bronze artifacts were found within workshop areas enclosed by earthen walls and surrounded by moats, suggesting strict oversight and protection.

An excavation undertake at Shenduntou site in Anhui province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The period when Shenduntou was active was marked by both conflict and the exchange of populations. As the Zhou royal house ruled the Central Plains, numerous vassal states mushroomed across the country. While these states pledged allegiance to the Zhou kings, they also competed with one another for power and resources.

Shenduntou thus showed typical elements of the Wu state, which once dominated what is now the Yangtze River Delta, according to Xu Liang, an archaeologist working on the site.

"We also found settlements, pottery kilns and road remains by the bronze workshop," Xu says. "These findings help us reconstruct how those artisans lived and worked."

Earlier excavations in the area revealed large burial mounds dating to the same period.

The newly uncovered artifacts help place those tombs within a broader industrial and economic context, linking them to a thriving bronze production network.

"This reflects an 'official industry' model, in which the state organized and supported production. Artisans and merchants were brought together and sustained by government resources to ensure steady manufacturing and trade," says Zhang Min, a researcher with Nanjing Museum.

The site's location also adds to its importance. With easy access to the Yangtze River via waterways, Shenduntou was well-positioned within a wider network of bronze production centered in Zhou-controlled regions to the north.

"Recent findings show this was not just a supply base for raw materials like ingots," Xu explains. "It also played an active role in manufacturing finished bronze products."

This economic network also facilitated cultural exchange, he points out. While many artifacts display strong local characteristics, they also incorporate elements from Zhou and other regional cultures.

The legacy of Shenduntou continues to resonate today. As Fanchang and the nearby city of Tongling were major centers of bronze production in early Chinese history, the region remains one of China's leading hubs for copper production.

Xu says further excavations are planned this year, with researchers hoping to uncover more clues about the site's role in ancient industry and society.

According to Wang Fazhi, director of the cultural relic preservation center of Fanchang district, local residents have been invited to visit the excavation site, and most of the unearthed artifacts will be housed in the Fanchang Museum. "Thanks to archaeology, people can better understand their home," he says.