Recent Advancing Scientific Examination on Ancient Metallurgical Remains of Chinese Paktong in Yunnan Province

Abstract

The invention of Chinese paktong was well-known in ancient China from at least the fourth century AD and is considered to be one of the most important inventions in the history of metallurgy, facilitating economic and material exchange in the West during the 17-19th centuries. As recent investigations into the relevant archives of paktong show, it is recognized that the early industry of such metal had intimate connections with Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. Due to the recent year research on some ancient metallurgical remains of Chinese paktong in Yunnan, it shows that the slags in the sites of Mouding and Jiangyin were from the specific metallurgical process, probably by intentionally accumulating nickel with iron. Both sites were likely to be the places of mining or refining and roasting the ores, but the outcomes from them might be the roughly finished products.