Provenance Analysis of Horse-shaped Bronze Buckles Excavated from Site of Songjeol-dong, Cheongju

Abstract

Lead isotope ratios in horse-shaped bronze buckles excavated from the Songjeol-dong site in Cheongju and the mid-western region of the Korean Peninsula have been determined by thermal ionization mass spectrometry. The lead isotope ratios of the samples with data provenance were plotted in zone 3 of the South Korean galena map. The results indicated that the horse-shaped bronze buckles could be made using galena located in the same area as the archaeological site. These results can be used as basic data for comparison purposes in future studies on the manufacturing technology and provenance of bronze artifacts.