J4 ›› 2011, Vol. 10 ›› Issue (4): 30-34.
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In order to study the production process of the bronzes in the ancient Ailao area，several samples of bronze swords from Warring States to the W estern Han Dynasty were selected，which were unearthed in the Baoshan，western Yunnan．The samples were analyzed by the metallographic microscope and SEM．The results showed that these swords were made of copper—tin alloy，and the production processes were classified in two types：cold working after casting and cold working after hot forging．Coated iron process was utilized in one sword produced by cold working after casting，the shape of this sword was much different from the others，which means that the production processes of the bronze swords varied widely and the swords belonged to different periods and different ethnic artisans． This paper was valuable for the study of metal technology in ancient Ailao area and the technical and cultural exchanges of ancient Ailao area with surrounding areas．
