The Bronze Age in Asia
The Bronze Age in Asia
Copper, then bronze, came into use at about the same time in Asia. Bronze artifacts dated at 3600 B.C. have been found in Thailand. Copper is found scattered around East Asia. Tin is found in the penninsula of Malaysia.
Chinese written records date the first copper mining at about 2600 B.C. and the first casting of copper vessels at about 2200 B.C. The Shang dynasty's capital of Anyang in northern China had a bronze-casting industry in 1400 B.C.
A few traces of a bronze industry from before 2000 B.C. are found in India. However, the great use of bronze in India came after the Age of Bronze, when it became a medium for religious sculpture. The bronze sculptures of Gandhara in the 1st century, A.D., begin the continuous history of Indian bronze. Other Asian cultures were influenced by Indian art, especially in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Thailand.
Geology
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