Modern archeological research indicates that the Chinese were familiar with the properties of copper, tin and lead at least as early as the late Shang Dynasty (ended about 1400 BCE), and understood the advantages of adding tin and lead to copper. Wonderful bronzeware resulted from combining tin and copper. Tin chunks and thick-plated tin helmets have been unearthed in the ruins of Anyang, in China's Henan Province.
根據近年的考古文物可以得知，最遲在商朝晚期，先民已熟知銅、錫、鉛的性質，且已瞭解銅中加錫與鉛的優點，大放異彩的青銅器，正是銅錫的合金，在大陸河南安陽殷墟中，也曾出土錫塊和外鍍厚錫的銅盔。