灿烂的青铜文明

　　商朝的青铜器制造很发达，后期制造的司母戊鼎(d1ng)，是现今世界上发现的最大的青铜器。另一件四羊方尊，造型雄奇，工艺高超，是商朝青铜器中的精品。

　　先秦时期，青铜还被用来制造乐器。春秋战国时期，盛行“钟鼓之乐”(一种以编钟与鼓为主要乐器所演奏的音乐)。1978年在湖北随州曾侯乙墓中出土的大量文物中，以整套编钟最为珍贵。编钟共有64件，以大小和音高为序组成8组，悬挂在铜木结构的三层钟架上。整套编钟音律准确，音色优美，音域宽广，它在地下埋藏了2,000多年，今天依然能用它来演奏音乐。

　　司母戊大方鼎

　　商朝后期制造，河南安阳出土，腹部呈长方形，腹内铸“司母戊”三字。鼎高1.33米，长1.1米，宽0.78米，重832.84千克，是至今为止发现的最大的出土青铜器。

　　Brilliant Bronze Civilization

　　The manufacture of bronze wares reached its zenith during the Shang Dynasty. The Simuwu square ding cauldron, made in the late Shang Dynasty, is the biggest item of bronze ware existent in the world. A zun wine vessel with the heads of four goats carved on it, also dating from the Shang Dynasty, is one of the finest examples of bronze ware known.

　　During pre-Qin times, bronze was also used to make musical instruments. In the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, chimes were popular musical instruments played at court and religious ceremonies.  In 1978, a complete set of chimes was excavated from the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng in Suizhou, Hubei Province. A total of 64 chimes divided into eight groups according to their different sizes and pitches hung on a three-layer stand of bronze and wood. The chimes have a beautiful timber and wide range, and can still be played after being buried for over 2,000 years.

　　The Simuwu Square Ding cauldron

　　The Simuwu square ding cauldron was manufactured in the late Shang Dynasty. It was unearthed in Anyang, Henan Province. The belly of the cauldron is rectangular in shape. The vessel is 1.33 m tall, 1.1 m long and 0.78 m wide. It weighs 832.84 kg, making it the biggest item of ancient bronze ware existent in the world.