Iron artefacts used at an ancient jade mine in the Hexi Corridor

A Technical Observation

Bibliographic Data

ID7147489
AuthorsZehao Dou (Institute for Cultural Heritage and History of Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing Beijing China), Qihan Peng (Institute for Cultural Heritage and History of Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing Beijing China), Yaxiong Liu (0000-0002-9696-8387, School of History and Culture, Henan University Zhengzhou China), Yifan Wang (0009-0007-5213-785X, School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University Beijing China), Yishi Yang (0000-0002-3367-8606, Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology Lanzhou China), Guoke Chen (0000-0002-9957-6012, Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology Lanzhou China), Kunlong Chen (0000-0002-8828-9595, Institute for Cultural Heritage and History of Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing Beijing China, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume67
Issue5
Pages1343-1354
Publication date2025-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueArchaeometry (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0003-813X • E-ISSN: 1475-4754
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/arcm.13093
OpenAlexW4409879153
LanguageEN
References cited3

This paper presents a study of 45 iron objects unearthed from the ancient Jingbao’er jade mining site in the western Hexi Corridor, dating from the Warring States period to the early West Han dynasty (about fourth–first centuries BCE). Metallographic and slag inclusion analyses were conducted to investigate the material features and their potential correlation with intended applications. Of the analysed items, 38 were made of cast iron, some of which had been decarburized or graphitized through annealing treatment to enhance their properties. Seven artefacts were identified as bloomery iron, indicating a distinct iron production tradition, likely localized and small in scale. It is conveyed that by the late first millennium BCE, the supply of iron artefacts at the Jingbao’er site was predominantly derived from the cast‐iron system, with evidence of regional bloomery smelting highlighting the complexity of iron production during this period. These observations offer new insights into the adoption of iron in the Hexi Corridor and the dynamics of regional technological exchange

Archaeology · Geography · JADE (particle detector) · Mining engineering · Archaeological Research and Protection · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Geology · Metallurgy and Cultural Artifacts