“美金”与“恶金”的考古学阐释

"美金"、"恶金"二词,出自《国语》等先秦古籍。不少历史学家认为,用以铸造兵器的"美金"是指青铜,用以制造农耕具的"恶金"是指铁,并以此论证春秋时期的冶铁和铁器发展水平。然而,考古发现和研究表明:春秋时期,兵器不仅用青铜铸造,而且同样用铁制作;铁被用于农耕具的制作,青铜同样也用于农耕具的铸造;春秋铁器中大量是贵族用品或发现于贵族墓葬,当时的人们对青铜和铁并不存在美与恶的认识和区分。鉴于当时人工冶铁尚处于初步发展阶段,而社会生活中大量使用的金属仍然主要是青铜,可以认为,"美金"和"恶金"都是指青铜,"美金"是优质青铜,"恶金"是劣质粗铜。

An archaeological interpretation of "good metal" and "bad metal"

Good metal" and "bad metal" come from such pre-Qin ancient books as Remarks of Monarchs, and so on. Many historians regard "good metal" cast into weaponry as bronze, and "bad metal" made into farm tools as iron, from which the level of smelting iron and ironware in the Spring and Autumn Period can be demonstrated. However, archaeological discovery and study shows that, in the Spring and Autumn Period, weaponry was cast with bronze, and iron as well; iron was used to make farm tools, and bronze did as well; large numbers of ironware were used by nobles or discovered in nobles' graves; bronze and iron were not distinguished into good or bad at that time. Seeing that artificial smelting iron just made a start, and the metal used frequently in social life remains bronze at that time, it is confirmed that both "good metal" and "bad metal" are bronze, "good metal" is bronze of high quality, and "bad metal" is copper of poor quality.