An analysis of a 2,300-year-old text and coins has helped researchers decipher ancient recipes for bronze, including two linguistically elusive ingredients.The Kao Gong Ji, the oldest known technical encyclopedia, was written around 300 BC and is part of a larger text called The Rites of Zhou. The ancient text includes six chemistry formulas for mixing bronze and lists items like swords, bells, axes, knives and mirrors, as well as how to make them.For the past 100 years, researchers have struggled to translate two of the main ingredients, which are listed as "jin"and "xi." Experts believed these words translated to copper and tin, which are key components in the bronze-making process. When researchers tried to re-create the recipes, however, the resulting metal didn't match up with the composition of ancient Chinese artifacts.Now, two researchers believe they have accurately identified the true meaning behind the mystery ingredients. The journal Antiquity published their findings on Tuesday.The revelation allows for a better understanding of ancient bronze production — and opens up new questions about when this process began, given that large-scale bronze production happened long before the six recipes were shared in the Kao Gong Ji, said study coauthor Ruiliang Liu, curator of the Early China Collection at the British Museum in London.In modern Chinese, jin means gold. But the ancient meaning of the word could be copper, copper alloy or even just metal, which is why it has been difficult to determine the specific ingredients."These recipes were used in the largest bronze industry in Eurasia during this period," said Liu in a statement. "Attempts to reconstruct these processes have been made for more than a hundred years, but have failed."Chemical analysisLiu and lead study author Mark Pollard analyzed the chemical composition of Chinese coins minted close to when the Kao Gong Ji was written. Pollard is the Edward Hall Professor of Archaeological Science at Oxford University and director of the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art.Previously, researchers had thought the coins were made by diluting copper with tin and lead.The analysis showed that the chemical composition of the coins was a result of mixing two pre-prepared metal alloys, one made of copper, tin and lead, and the other copper and lead.The two researchers concluded jin and xi were likely premixed metal alloys."For the first time in more than 100 years of scholarship, we have produced a viable explanation of how to interpret the recipes for making bronze objects in early China given in the (Kao Gong Ji)," Pollard said in a statement.The findings have shown that ancient Chinese bronze-making relied on combining alloys instead of pure metals and that metalsmithing was more complex than previously thought."It indicates an additional step — the production of pre-prepared alloys — in the manufacturing process of copper-alloy objects in early China," Liu said. "This represents an additional but previously unknown layer in the web of metal production and supply in China."Archaeologically, this additional step would have remained invisible if not for chemical analysis, the researchers said."Understanding the alloying practice is crucial for us to understand the exquisite bronze ritual vessels as well as the underlying mass production in Shang and Zhou societies," Liu said.Using this type of analysis could help researchers decipher other texts about ancient metallurgy from different cultures and regions in the future, the researchers said.

Emily Ross-Teague, Registered Dietitian: "A food label tells you the nutritional content of your food and can help you make decisions about which foods and drinks to buy at the store.

You will find a nutrition facts panel on most packaged foods and drinks. When reading a food label, start by looking at the serving size, located here on the nutrition facts panel. All nutritional information on the label is based on the serving size given. Pay close attention to the number of servings per container, as many products have more than once serving in a package.

Here is an example of a food with two servings in one package. If you were to eat the entire package in one meal or snack, you would be getting twice the amount of calories and other nutrients listed on the panel. Having one serving of this food would provide 190 calories. But the entire package would be 380 calories.

You will find calories listed right below the serving size as well as the amount of fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, protein and some vitamins and minerals. Again, these amounts are all based on one serving of the food or drink.

You may notice some labels include the amount of added sugars per serving. This is located below the total sugar. Limiting added sugars is recommended for weight management and good overall health.

Most nutrients on the nutrition facts panel also have a percent daily value listed. This shows how much of each nutrient is in one serving of food compared to the daily recommended amount. If the percent daily value of a nutrient is 20 percent or greater, this food is considered high in that nutrient. If the percent daily value is 5 percent or less, this food is considered low in that nutrient.

For example, this food is considered high in saturated fat because the percent daily value is higher than 20 percent.

Looking at a different food, we know this food is low in sodium because the percent daily value is less than 5 percent.

A list of ingredients in the food will be located below or beside the nutrition facts panel. The ingredients are listed in order of highest-to-lowest amount with allergy information listed at the end.

If you are looking to buy a whole grain product, use the ingredient list. You should find the words 'whole grain' of 'whole wheat' as part of the first ingredient.

The front of the package may also say '100 percent whole grain' or '100 percent whole wheat.'

If you have other questions about reading food labels, be sure to speak with your registered dietitian."

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The funding for these videos was in part provided by Master Han and the Han’s White Tiger Tae Kwon Do Annual Break-A-Thon. Thank you!

source

HealthWorks! Healthy Living Series: Reading Food Labels
by The Center for Better Health and Nutrition/HealthWorks! at Cincinnati Children's

Emily Ross-Teague, Registered Dietitian: "A food label tells you the nutritional content of your food and can help you make decisions about which foods and drinks to buy at the store.

You will find a nutrition facts panel on most packaged foods and drinks. When reading a food label, start by looking at the serving size, located here on the nutrition facts panel. All nutritional information on the label is based on the serving size given. Pay close attention to the number of servings per container, as many products have more than once serving in a package.

Here is an example of a food with two servings in one package. If you were to eat the entire package in one meal or snack, you would be getting twice the amount of calories and other nutrients listed on the panel. Having one serving of this food would provide 190 calories. But the entire package would be 380 calories.

You will find calories listed right below the serving size as well as the amount of fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, protein and some vitamins and minerals. Again, these amounts are all based on one serving of the food or drink.

You may notice some labels include the amount of added sugars per serving. This is located below the total sugar. Limiting added sugars is recommended for weight management and good overall health.

Most nutrients on the nutrition facts panel also have a percent daily value listed. This shows how much of each nutrient is in one serving of food compared to the daily recommended amount. If the percent daily value of a nutrient is 20 percent or greater, this food is considered high in that nutrient. If the percent daily value is 5 percent or less, this food is considered low in that nutrient.

For example, this food is considered high in saturated fat because the percent daily value is higher than 20 percent.

Looking at a different food, we know this food is low in sodium because the percent daily value is less than 5 percent.

A list of ingredients in the food will be located below or beside the nutrition facts panel. The ingredients are listed in order of highest-to-lowest amount with allergy information listed at the end.

If you are looking to buy a whole grain product, use the ingredient list. You should find the words 'whole grain' of 'whole wheat' as part of the first ingredient.

The front of the package may also say '100 percent whole grain' or '100 percent whole wheat.'

If you have other questions about reading food labels, be sure to speak with your registered dietitian."

--

The funding for these videos was in part provided by Master Han and the Han’s White Tiger Tae Kwon Do Annual Break-A-Thon. Thank you!

source