| Abstract: |
In 1991 in the northern suburbs of Xi'an in the territory of the ancient state of Qin, objects of high historical value, including ceramic models for making bronze-casting moulds, pottery, bronze objects, iron artifacts, lacquer ware, stone objects, and other items, were unearthed. Among these finds were 25 ceramic models for casting 'steppe-style' bronze plaques of the type and iconography typical of the Ordos region located under the Great Bend of the Yellow River, as well as other categories of bronze object parts. Not only do the contents of this single tomb confirm what several scholars have previously proposed - namely that the Chinese were producing objects for their pastoral neighbors - it also suggests that the metal industry formed a significant piece of the Qin state-level as well as the local economy and its 'foreign' policy. The socio-economic and political implications of the industry and its significance to the Qin state are explored below.
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