Metallographic examination of numerous bronze objects from the royal Xiongnu tomb at Gol Mod 2 in Mongolia has revealed evidence for a tin-conserving environment suggesting the emergence of a new technological tradition defined by decreasing reliance on tin and arsenic over time. This apparently humble alloy method was likely facilitated by the advent of iron and steel technologies replacing bronze in the manufacture of critical functional items. We propose that this development was a key episode in the evolution of the Mongolian bronze metallurgical tradition. By substituting iron for utilitarian tools and weapons that had previously been made from bronze, steppe populations overcame a technological hurdle evidenced by the under-utilization or conservation of tin as a local resource. This major technological shift may well have been one factor in facilitating the rise and development of the Xiongnu state (third century BCE–second century AD).

中文翻译：

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锡和砷在 XIONGNU 青铜技术中的作用及其随时间推移的社会政治影响

对蒙古 Gol Mod 2 的匈奴皇家陵墓中大量青铜器的金相检查揭示了锡保护环境的证据，表明随着时间的推移减少对锡和砷的依赖所定义的新技术传统的出现。这种看似不起眼的合金方法很可能是由于钢铁技术在关键功能部件的制造中取代青铜的出现而推动的。我们认为这一发展是蒙古青铜冶金传统演变过程中的一个关键事件。通过用铁代替以前由青铜制成的实用工具和武器，草原居民克服了锡作为当地资源未充分利用或保护所证明的技术障碍。