Fig 1.
Simplified map of tectonic terrains in China.
Fig 2.
Map of the major metallogenic belts in eastern China.
Also shown are the Warring State Period Chinese states (475–221 BC), relevant prehistoric mining/smelting and casting sites, and the locations for sites discussed in the case studies.
Fig 3.
Map of 206Pb/204Pb ratios for galena ores (n = 2,104).
Each color represents the median Pb isotope ratios in a 60 x 60 km hexagonal grid containing at least five measurements.
Fig 4.
Map of 207Pb/204Pb ratios for galena ores (n = 2,104).
Fig 5.
Map of 208Pb/204Pb ratios for galena ores (n = 2,104).
Fig 6.
Map of 238U/204Pb ratios for galena ores (n = 2,104).
Fig 7.
Map of model ages for galena ores (n = 2,104).
Fig 8.
Map of 232Th/238U ratios for galena ores (n = 2,104).
Fig 9.
The general isotopic patterning of metallogenic provinces in eastern China.
(A) Bivariate plots of Pb isotope medians in individual provinces against plumbotectonic growth curves. (B) 206Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb ratios in K-feldspar (n = 511) by latitude. Two datasets published before 2000 are included due to the higher than usual precision of their analyses [91, 92].
Fig 10.
Lead isotope characterization of galena ores from the North China Craton (NCC), Lower Yangtze province, Qinling, Dabie, and Hinggan.
The diagram was drawn using the ggtern package in R (http://www.ggtern.com/). The bandwidth for two-dimensional kernel density estimation was selected based on Silverman's “rule of thumb” [99].
Fig 11.
Lead isotope characterization of galena ores from major metallogenic belts in each province.
(A) Ternary diagram showing the isotopic variability of metallogenic belts in the North China Craton (NCC). (B) Ternary diagram showing the isotopic variability of metallogenic belts in the Lower Yangtze province. Note that sulfide minerals (n = 90) from the Middle-Lower Yangtze metallogenic belt are also shown. (C) Ternary diagram showing the isotopic variability of metallogenic belts in the Qinling-Dabie.
Fig 12.
Lead isotope characterization of galena ores from the South China Block (SCB) and major metallogenic belts within.
(A) Ternary diagram showing the isotopic fields of the Lower and Upper Yangtze province, Cathaysia, and Jinshachang Pb-Zn deposit. Jinshachang belongs to the Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) ore cluster in Northeast Yunnan. (B) Ternary diagram showing the isotopic variability of the Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) (Huizhe and Jinshachang deposits), Xiangxi, and Nanling metallogenic belts.
Fig 13.
Application of the Pb isotope database in three archaeological provenance case studies.
(A) Case study of Yan Qin coins and potential Pb sources. (B) Case study of Qin State bronzes and overlapping isotopic fields. (C) Case study of Tang Sancai Pb glaze and its potential sources.