Study of 16th‐Century Brass Artifacts From the No. 1 Shipwreck on the Northwest Continental Slope of the South China Sea

ABSTRACT The No. 1 shipwreck on the Northwest Continental Slope of the South China Sea (XBLP No. 1) serves as a vital microcosm of the Maritime Silk Road during the Ming dynasty. We analyzed 17 copper‐based artifacts (salvers, candlesticks, armlets, lotus‐shaped basins, etc.) recovered from the wreck to investigate their metalworking techniques, chronological significance, and provenance. Microscopy and x‐ray imaging revealed sophisticated chased decorations on the salvers, as well as wood remains in their rims identified by FTIR. XRF analysis classified all the artifacts as binary brass. Trace element analysis (LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS) suggests that the brass was produced using cementation technology, with the copper material likely originating from Daye (Hubei). Furthermore, lead isotopic analysis (MC‐ICP‐MS) suggests a southern China origin for the zinc material. Crucially, among all securely dated Ming dynasty copper‐alloy artifacts, the Cu–Zn relative proportions of the XBLP No. 1 brasses most closely parallel those of Longqing‐period coins.