Yuniu Li

Biographic Data

ID	3642020
NAME	Yuniu Li
GIVEN NAMES	Yuniu
FAMILY NAME	Li
SIGNATURE	LI Y
AFFILIATIONS	Sichuan University
ORCID	0000-0002-5064-6606
VERIFIED	Yes
TOTAL WORKS	32
TOTAL CITATIONS	41
AUTHOR COUNT	32
EDITOR COUNT	0
FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR	2019
LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR	2026
H-INDEX	3

Archaeometallurgical Study of Middle to Late Western Han (c.140 BC – AD 8) Bronze Artifacts from Western Hunan, China
Open AccessXiao Hang, Yuan Wei et al.ARTICLEArchaeometry2026
Based on typology of cultural attributes, the present study classifies the middle to late Western Han period 21 bronze objects from western Hunan into two categories: objects with indigenous characteristics, and with Central Plains characteristics. The analytical results show that all samples are composed of lead–tin bronze and were manufactured using composite molds and two‐piece molds, with no obvious traces of post‐casting treatment. In terms …
Scientific analysis of hammerscales excavated from the Chengba and Guantian sites ( 50 BC to AD 400 ) in Southwest China
Open AccessChenxiaoxue Jia, Tianqiang Sun et al.ARTICLEArchaeological and Anthropological…2026
Pabalugala
Open AccessMangala Katugampola, Zhiyuan Gao et al.ARTICLEArchaeological Research in Asia2026
The earliest meteoritic iron artefact of the Chinese Bronze Age discovered at Sanxingdui, Southwest China
Open AccessHaichao Li, Zishu Yang et al.ARTICLEArchaeological Research in Asia2026References: 1
A metallurgical and archaeological study of Xiangxi-style bronze swords
Open AccessSheng Zhang, Handong Zhang et al.ARTICLEArchaeological and Anthropological…2026References: 11
The Saltpetre Cave Sites and Saltpetre Production Technology of Ming and Qing Dynasties in South-West China
Jin Xu, Chao Zhang et al.ARTICLEIndustrial Archaeology Review2025
Saltpetre, the key component in making gunpowder under the formula of ‘one measure of saltpetre, two of sulphur, three of charcoal’, was mainly produced in ancient times in karst caves across China. Numerous saltpetre cave sites from the Ming and Qing dynasties (14th–20th centuries) recorded recently in south-west China have made a significant contribution to the current framework of gunpowder history research, which has hitherto been limited lar…
Investigating Bronze Casting Production in Chu’s Western Borderlands during the late Warring States Period (c.306–221 BC)
Open AccessHang Xiao, Wei Yuan et al.ARTICLEArchaeological and Anthropological…2025References: 17
New evidence for early iron on the Western Xizang Plateau
Open AccessChenxi Liang, Wei He et al.ARTICLEArchaeometry2025References: 12
The Sangdalongguo cemetery is located on the western Xizang Plateau (Tibetan Plateau), at Tuolin Town, Zhada County, Ali Prefecture, Xizang (Tibet). This paper studies the early use and production technologies of iron in western Xizang through scientific analysis of the iron objects excavated from the Sangdalongguo cemetery. The excavated iron objects are dated as early as the fourth century BCE. These are the earliest iron objects excavated from…
Microstructural and elemental analyses of slags excavated from the Gushishan iron‐smelting site, Sichuan Province, China
Open AccessYingfu Li, Hang Xiao et al.ARTICLEArchaeometry2025Cited by: 2References: 3
The Shu Commandery was an important iron production center in southwest China during the Han Dynasty (202 BC‐AD 220). In 2007, archaeologists excavated a Han Dynasty smelting furnace (L1) at the Gushishan site and collected large amounts of smelting remains including slags, furnace bricks, and ores. Scientific analysis of the excavated slags was carried out to ascertain that the Gushishan site was a pig iron smelting site. No flux was used at the…
Iron smelting techniques in Eastern Sichuan Province, China --scientific analysis of smelting remains excavated from the Chengba site
Open AccessTianqiang Sun, Weidong Chen et al.ARTICLEArchaeological and Anthropological…2025Cited by: 1References: 6
Chengba
Open AccessTianqiang Sun, Fang Liu et al.ARTICLEAntiquity2025
The Chengba site is the only city site dated from the late Warring States Period in eastern Sichuan Province, China. New discoveries of artefacts and structures at the site enable exploration of the regional role and management of counties that were established at this time by the central government
Scientific analysis of iron objects excavated from the Guantian Iron Production Site at Sangzhi County, Hunan Province, China
Open AccessHang Xiao, Linheng Mo et al.ARTICLEJournal of Archaeological Science…2024Cited by: 2References: 6
First discovered low level society iron casting site in the Wuling Mountain area with a Wuling Man (barbarians) background. • Large number of excavated iron artifacts serves as important evidence for studying the development level and technological characteristics of steel handicraft industry in the Han and Jin dynasties. • Both casting and forging, with evidence of quenching technique were used in the producing process. The Guantian site located…
Scientific analysis of the gilt-bronze chariot parasol component of the Eastern Han Dynasty excavated from the Dafenbao cemetery, Pengshan, Sichuan, China
Open AccessChenxi Liang, Wantao Li et al.ARTICLEArchaeological and Anthropological…2024Cited by: 1References: 7
Southbound transmission of metallurgy
Open AccessJie Fu, Yuniu Li et al.ARTICLEAntiquity2024Cited by: 1References: 10
Jicha is a Bronze Age settlement located next to the upper Mekong River in the Hengduan Mountains of Yunnan, south-west China. Recent excavations have revealed details of successive occupation and copper-base industrial activity. The site's position and chronology provide evidence of north-south demographic movement and technological transmission along the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau corridor
Zinc-Smelting Technology of China in the Ming and Qing Dynasties
Birui Xiao, Wan Huang et al.ARTICLEIndustrial Archaeology Review2023
Academic discussion of traditional zinc-smelting technology in China has been hampered by a paucity of physical data recovered from early production sites. In recent years, however, the discovery of former zinc-smelting sites in the municipality of Chongqing in south-western China has provided important evidence from archaeological excavations that contribute to the study of this topic. Taking the smelting furnace found at the Linjiangerdui site …
Archaeological Investigation and Industrial Heritage Study of the Wanshan Mercury Mining Site in Guizhou Province, China
Yingfu Li, Chunyan Ma et al.ARTICLEIndustrial Archaeology Review2023
Mercury is the only natural liquid non-ferrous metal that occurs under normal temperature. Cinnabar, also known as Chensha 辰砂 and Dansha 丹砂 in ancient China, is a natural ore of mercury sulphide that exists in mercury mines and is the most common source ore for refining elementary mercury. The largest cinnabar deposit in China is at the Wanshan mercury mine in Wanshan Town, Guizhou Province, which was an important centre for the mercury productio…
A Metal Production Center on the Southwest Frontier of the Han Empire
Yingfu Li, Sheng Yang et al.ARTICLEAsian perspectives2023
The Gejiu region in southeast Yunnan Province was an important metal and ore production area in China as early as the Han Dynasty (202 b.c.–a.d. 220). Past archaeological investigations in this region discovered an ancient smelting site. Large numbers of smelting-related relics including lead discs, copper ingots, and smelting wastes were also excavated from the Heimajing cemetery site nearby. These discoveries suggest that the burial occupants w…
Chadiping
Open AccessYingfu Li, Wan Huang et al.ARTICLEArchaeological Research in Asia2023References: 2
The earliest loaded iron bomb excavated from the Baidicheng fort site, Chongqing, China
Open AccessHouxi Zou, Sun Zhi-Gang et al.ARTICLEArchaeological Research in Asia2023
The Battleground Site of Jiangkou in Sichuan Province, China
Open AccessZhiyan Liu, Tian Qiu et al.ARTICLEHistorical Archaeology2023Cited by: 2
New discoveries at the Sanxingdui Bronze Age site in south-west China
Open AccessYingfu Li, Tian Qiu et al.ARTICLEAntiquity2023Cited by: 2References: 2
The authors report on new discoveries from Sanxingdui in south-west China. The multidisciplinary approach used at Sanxingdui has enriched the theory and methodology of field archaeology and sets a precedent for future scientific excavations
Scientific analysis of bronze objects of the first millennium to the second century BCE excavated from the Jiangkou Site, Pengshan, Sichuan
Open AccessTian Qiu, Zhiyan Liu et al.ARTICLEArchaeological and Anthropological…2023Cited by: 1References: 22
Iron Production Industry in Western Chongqing During the Late Ming Dynasty
Yuniu Li, Zhigang Sun et al.ARTICLEAsian perspectives2023Cited by: 1
Four iron smelting related sites were discovered in Zouma Town, western Chongqing, China. Among these sites, two (Luduizi and Tieshazitu) were dated to the end of the Ming Dynasty in the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries a.d. and the other two (Gaoluchang and Nianmigou) were dated to the Late Qing Dynasty in the nineteenth century. Large amounts of smelting-related materials were excavated from these sites. Ten metallographic samples collected f…
Early iron production technology of Lingnan, China
Open AccessYuniu Li, Mingjie Zhang et al.ARTICLEJournal of Archaeological Science…2022References: 5
Evidence of early iron smelting on the Tibetan plateau
Open AccessYuniu Li, Mengyi Zhang et al.ARTICLEArchaeological and Anthropological…2022Cited by: 5References: 8

Salt Production of Late Imperial China in the Upper Three Gorges Region
Yuniu Li, Yingbin Niu et al.ARTICLEIndustrial Archaeology Review2019
This article aims to improve the understanding of salt production in the upper Three Gorges region, based on archaeological investigation and excavation of salt-production sites in Yushan, Pengshui County, Chongqing. This article introduces the features of salt sources and the types and dates of the salt wells in Yushan, and investigates the local brine transportation and salt-making techniques. The Zhongjingba site is a large salt-making site wi…
Early iron objects of southwest China
Open AccessYingfu Li, Yuniu Li et al.ARTICLEArchaeological and Anthropological…2019Cited by: 10References: 2
Metallographic analysis of the recent excavated domestic iron objects from Muyi, Yunnan Province, China
Open AccessMengyi Zhang, Mingjie Zhang et al.ARTICLEArchaeological and Anthropological…2020Cited by: 3References: 2
Ancient zinc smelting in the Upper and Middle Yangtze River region
Open AccessYuniu Li, Birui Xiao et al.ARTICLEAntiquity2020References: 10
Here the authors report on a project that aims to understand zinc-production technologies at the earliest zinc-smelting site in China. Excavations at the site of Linjiangerdui, south of the Yangtze River, have provided a chronological sequence for smelting sites and revealed new evidence for methods of production
Iron production and trading in Lingnan during the Qin and Han Dynasties
Open AccessMengyi Zhang, Yingfu Li et al.ARTICLEAntiquity2020
Forging or casting
Open AccessMengyi Zhang, Mingjie Zhang et al.ARTICLEArchaeological and Anthropological…2021Cited by: 10References: 9
Early iron production technology of Lingnan, China
Open AccessYuniu Li, Mingjie Zhang et al.ARTICLEJournal of Archaeological Science…2022References: 5
Evidence of early iron smelting on the Tibetan plateau
Open AccessYuniu Li, Mengyi Zhang et al.ARTICLEArchaeological and Anthropological…2022Cited by: 5References: 8
A Metal Production Center on the Southwest Frontier of the Han Empire
Yingfu Li, Dong Han et al.ARTICLEAsian perspectives2022
The Gejiu region in southeast Yunnan Province was an important metal and ore production area in China as early as the Han Dynasty (202 B.C. – A.D. 220). Past archaeological investigations in this region discovered an ancient smelting site. Large numbers of smelting-related relics including lead discs, copper ingots, and smelting wastes were also excavated from the Heimajing cemetery site nearby. These discoveries suggest that the burial occupants…
Zinc-Smelting Technology of China in the Ming and Qing Dynasties
Birui Xiao, Wan Huang et al.ARTICLEIndustrial Archaeology Review2023
Academic discussion of traditional zinc-smelting technology in China has been hampered by a paucity of physical data recovered from early production sites. In recent years, however, the discovery of former zinc-smelting sites in the municipality of Chongqing in south-western China has provided important evidence from archaeological excavations that contribute to the study of this topic. Taking the smelting furnace found at the Linjiangerdui site …
Archaeological Investigation and Industrial Heritage Study of the Wanshan Mercury Mining Site in Guizhou Province, China
Yingfu Li, Chunyan Ma et al.ARTICLEIndustrial Archaeology Review2023
Mercury is the only natural liquid non-ferrous metal that occurs under normal temperature. Cinnabar, also known as Chensha 辰砂 and Dansha 丹砂 in ancient China, is a natural ore of mercury sulphide that exists in mercury mines and is the most common source ore for refining elementary mercury. The largest cinnabar deposit in China is at the Wanshan mercury mine in Wanshan Town, Guizhou Province, which was an important centre for the mercury productio…
A Metal Production Center on the Southwest Frontier of the Han Empire
Yingfu Li, Sheng Yang et al.ARTICLEAsian perspectives2023
The Gejiu region in southeast Yunnan Province was an important metal and ore production area in China as early as the Han Dynasty (202 b.c.–a.d. 220). Past archaeological investigations in this region discovered an ancient smelting site. Large numbers of smelting-related relics including lead discs, copper ingots, and smelting wastes were also excavated from the Heimajing cemetery site nearby. These discoveries suggest that the burial occupants w…
Chadiping
Open AccessYingfu Li, Wan Huang et al.ARTICLEArchaeological Research in Asia2023References: 2
The earliest loaded iron bomb excavated from the Baidicheng fort site, Chongqing, China
Open AccessHouxi Zou, Sun Zhi-Gang et al.ARTICLEArchaeological Research in Asia2023
The Battleground Site of Jiangkou in Sichuan Province, China
Open AccessZhiyan Liu, Tian Qiu et al.ARTICLEHistorical Archaeology2023Cited by: 2
New discoveries at the Sanxingdui Bronze Age site in south-west China
Open AccessYingfu Li, Tian Qiu et al.ARTICLEAntiquity2023Cited by: 2References: 2
The authors report on new discoveries from Sanxingdui in south-west China. The multidisciplinary approach used at Sanxingdui has enriched the theory and methodology of field archaeology and sets a precedent for future scientific excavations
Scientific analysis of bronze objects of the first millennium to the second century BCE excavated from the Jiangkou Site, Pengshan, Sichuan
Open AccessTian Qiu, Zhiyan Liu et al.ARTICLEArchaeological and Anthropological…2023Cited by: 1References: 22
Iron Production Industry in Western Chongqing During the Late Ming Dynasty
Yuniu Li, Zhigang Sun et al.ARTICLEAsian perspectives2023Cited by: 1
Four iron smelting related sites were discovered in Zouma Town, western Chongqing, China. Among these sites, two (Luduizi and Tieshazitu) were dated to the end of the Ming Dynasty in the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries a.d. and the other two (Gaoluchang and Nianmigou) were dated to the Late Qing Dynasty in the nineteenth century. Large amounts of smelting-related materials were excavated from these sites. Ten metallographic samples collected f…
Scientific analysis of iron objects excavated from the Guantian Iron Production Site at Sangzhi County, Hunan Province, China
Open AccessHang Xiao, Linheng Mo et al.ARTICLEJournal of Archaeological Science…2024Cited by: 2References: 6
First discovered low level society iron casting site in the Wuling Mountain area with a Wuling Man (barbarians) background. • Large number of excavated iron artifacts serves as important evidence for studying the development level and technological characteristics of steel handicraft industry in the Han and Jin dynasties. • Both casting and forging, with evidence of quenching technique were used in the producing process. The Guantian site located…
Scientific analysis of the gilt-bronze chariot parasol component of the Eastern Han Dynasty excavated from the Dafenbao cemetery, Pengshan, Sichuan, China
Open AccessChenxi Liang, Wantao Li et al.ARTICLEArchaeological and Anthropological…2024Cited by: 1References: 7
Southbound transmission of metallurgy
Open AccessJie Fu, Yuniu Li et al.ARTICLEAntiquity2024Cited by: 1References: 10
Jicha is a Bronze Age settlement located next to the upper Mekong River in the Hengduan Mountains of Yunnan, south-west China. Recent excavations have revealed details of successive occupation and copper-base industrial activity. The site's position and chronology provide evidence of north-south demographic movement and technological transmission along the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau corridor
The Saltpetre Cave Sites and Saltpetre Production Technology of Ming and Qing Dynasties in South-West China
Jin Xu, Chao Zhang et al.ARTICLEIndustrial Archaeology Review2025
Saltpetre, the key component in making gunpowder under the formula of ‘one measure of saltpetre, two of sulphur, three of charcoal’, was mainly produced in ancient times in karst caves across China. Numerous saltpetre cave sites from the Ming and Qing dynasties (14th–20th centuries) recorded recently in south-west China have made a significant contribution to the current framework of gunpowder history research, which has hitherto been limited lar…
Investigating Bronze Casting Production in Chu’s Western Borderlands during the late Warring States Period (c.306–221 BC)
Open AccessHang Xiao, Wei Yuan et al.ARTICLEArchaeological and Anthropological…2025References: 17
New evidence for early iron on the Western Xizang Plateau
Open AccessChenxi Liang, Wei He et al.ARTICLEArchaeometry2025References: 12
The Sangdalongguo cemetery is located on the western Xizang Plateau (Tibetan Plateau), at Tuolin Town, Zhada County, Ali Prefecture, Xizang (Tibet). This paper studies the early use and production technologies of iron in western Xizang through scientific analysis of the iron objects excavated from the Sangdalongguo cemetery. The excavated iron objects are dated as early as the fourth century BCE. These are the earliest iron objects excavated from…
Microstructural and elemental analyses of slags excavated from the Gushishan iron‐smelting site, Sichuan Province, China
Open AccessYingfu Li, Hang Xiao et al.ARTICLEArchaeometry2025Cited by: 2References: 3
The Shu Commandery was an important iron production center in southwest China during the Han Dynasty (202 BC‐AD 220). In 2007, archaeologists excavated a Han Dynasty smelting furnace (L1) at the Gushishan site and collected large amounts of smelting remains including slags, furnace bricks, and ores. Scientific analysis of the excavated slags was carried out to ascertain that the Gushishan site was a pig iron smelting site. No flux was used at the…