Iron production in the ancient Loulan state of Lop Nor region, southern Xinjiang
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7147413 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mengyi Zhang (0000-0003-4856-502X, China‐Central Asia Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Human and Environment Research, Northwest University Shaanxi China, corresponding author), Lina Bahetibieke (Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology China) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 67 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 1487-1499 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Archaeometry (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0003-813X • E-ISSN: 1475-4754 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/arcm.13103 |
| OpenAlex | W4410736151 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 14 |
The ancient Loulan state, located in the Lop Nor region of Xinjiang, was historically known for its iron production, as documented in Chinese historical texts. This paper studies iron artefacts from the ancient Loulan LA site, dating from the third to the fourth centuries CE, with a focus on their metallographic features and the chemical composition of slag inclusions. The analytical results reveal that iron objects from the site were made from cast iron, malleable cast iron and bloomery iron. Based on the observation, it is suggested that while cast iron was used, bloomery iron still played an important role in the region. The technological profile in the ancient Loulan state was different from inland China of the same period, which highlights regional characteristics. Based on the observation, we focus on environmental and cultural factors that could have been contributed to this situation
Archaeology · Geography · Archaeological Research and Protection · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Geology · Metallurgy and Cultural Artifacts
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Regional characteristics of iron manufacturing techniques and the related issue of the supply system on Han’s southern Frontiers
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Climatic imprint of the mid-latitude Westerlies in the Central Tian Shan of Kyrgyzstan and teleconnections to North Atlantic climate variability during the last 6000 years
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Slag inclusion analyses for studying ferrous alloys employed in French medieval buildings
Iron reinforcements in Beauvais and Metz Cathedrals
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Radiocarbon Dating the Ancient City of Loulan
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Serindia
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |