Archaeologists in Shaanxi have excavated a major industrial wing of the Western Zhou imperial palace dedicated to the manufacture of gilded-bronze horse-armor. The site yielded an extraordinary collection of intact clay casting molds and specialized crucibles used for the mercury-gilding process on heavy military equipment.
This find suggests that the Zhou military placed immense value on the protective aesthetics of their cavalry, utilizing advanced gold-amalgamation techniques to create highly durable and reflective armor. The site also contained records of metal alloy ratios used to ensure the armor could withstand high-impact combat without shattering.