State intervention in post-Qin bronze production in Sichuan: scientific insights from mou vessels

Bronze mou vessels appear in Shu tombs in south-west China during the Eastern Zhou period ( c . 771–256 BC). Examination of these vessels reveals major changes in the supply of metal and alloying technology in the Shu State, throwing new light on the social impact of the Qin conquest and later unification of China.