中国古代坩埚炼铅技术初步研究

Metallurgy is the material foundation of human civilisation and social development. Lead plays an important role in the development of human civilisation, as it was the earliest human made metal; it was used to make bronzes, coins, lead red, gunpower, etc.; and it could be used to produce gold and silver. However, there is little research on lead smelting technology in ancient China, with investigation and excavation of smelting sites and analysis of smelting remains not fully carried out. In recent few years, crucible lead smelting remains have been found in several sites in north China, such as in Quyang, Hebei province and Tongbai, Henan province. This crucible lead smelting technology is unique and of great importance in the history of metallurgy in China and even in the World. This project carries out comprehensive field suvery of crucible lead smelting sites in ancient China, trying to construct its temporal and spatial framework; it uses metallographic microscope, scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectrometer and X-ray fluorescence spectrometer to reveal the microstructure and chemical composition of production remians, in order to reconstruct the crucible lead smelting technology together with simulation experiments; it also studies the manufacturing technology and performance characteristics of crucibles, and investigates the relation of lead industry, ceramic industry and environmental resources; finally this project tries to reveal the characteristics and development of crucible lead smelting technology in ancient China, and to explore the causes of crucible lead smelting technology in north China and its effect on the people's livelihood.

冶金是人类文明和社会发展的物质基础。铅在人类文明发展史中有重要作用，它是人类最早冶炼出来的金属，用于制造青铜器、钱币、铅丹、火药等，还用于金银的生产。但是中国古代炼铅技术的研究开展的较少，对冶炼遗址的调查发掘和冶炼遗物的分析工作尚未系统展开。近年来在北方地区的河北曲阳、河南桐柏等多处遗址发现了坩埚炼铅遗物。这种坩埚炼铅技术是一种独特的炼铅技术，在中国乃至世界冶金史上有着重要地位。本项目拟对中国古代坩埚炼铅遗址进行全面调查，初步构建坩埚炼铅技术的时空框架；采集坩埚和炉渣等冶炼遗物，采用金相显微镜、扫描电子显微镜及能谱分析仪、X射线荧光仪等对样品进行显微结构和化学成分分析，并结合模拟实验，重建坩埚炼铅技术；研究坩埚的制作技术和使用性能，考察炼铅业 、陶瓷业和环境资源之间的关系；揭示中国古代坩埚炼铅技术的特点和发展状况，探讨坩埚炼铅技术存在于北方地区的原因及其对国计民生的作用。

本项目对河北曲阳燕川、河南桐柏围山、山西浑源古磁窑和应县辽城、辽宁辽阳冮官屯窑等5处遗址做了田野调查，采集了坩埚和炉渣等遗物，进行了宏观观察，采用金相显微镜、扫描电子显微镜及能谱仪、铅同位素分析等方法对样品进行显微组织观察和化学成分分析，重建了坩埚、铅矿石、还原剂、燃料和冶炼流程等技术细节。根据炉渣的分析、模拟实验和文献记载，确认这些遗址采用的是铁还原法炼铅技术，这种技术在世界冶金史上独树一帜；发现很多炼铅坩埚为高铝质的耐火土，有的掺有煤炭，是中国乃至世界罕见的一种陶瓷材料。通过各种资料的调研、田野考古调查、冶炼遗物的实验室分析和模拟实验等方法，重建了坩埚炼铅技术，并对这些遗址的时空分布特点进行了讨论，认为坩埚炼铅主要存在辽金元时期，可能是因为辽代对北方银铅矿的开发造成的，选择坩埚炼铅技术是为了利用北方丰富的耐火土和煤炭资源，所炼的铅可能用于炼银。