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Ancient
Iron Plates Unearthed in Central China
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????A cache of ancient
iron plates once again saw the light of day after they had been
smelted about 2,000 years ago.
????The plates were found in an amusement park
being constructed on an ancient metallurgical site in Nanyang in
central China's Henan Province.
????Being 0.5 centimeters thick and five to 20
centimeters in length, these plates were in the shapes of a square,
rectangle and trapezia.
????It was the first time to uncover hoarded iron
plates in the metallurgical site in the city.
????Archaeologists said the finding gives valuable
hints to metallurgy in the Western Han Dynasty (BC206-24AD).
????Nanyang already had a developed iron-smelting
industry during the Warring States Period (BC475-BC221). It developed
into a national iron-smelting center in the Western Han Dynasty,
and iron utensils made in Nanyang were used in 17 counties of the
dynasty.
(People's Daily 12/07/2000)
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