| Abstract: |
Recent archaeological finds have thrown light on the development of Bronze Age metal technology in the Xinjiang region. These finds and their significance in understanding the early technology of copper and its alloys are summarised in this chapter, with special reference to a copper mining and smelting site found at Nulasai, Niliki, west Xinjiang, which is dated to about 500 BC. <p> Preliminary examination of the fragments of ore, slag and matte from the Nulasai site has been doen in recent years by the author and his colleagues of the Institute of Historical Metallurgy, University of Science and Technology in Beijing, China. The results show that the slags contain Cu 0.26-4.19% and As 0.04-1.06% and the matte consists of Cu, As, Pb, Fe and S. Examination of the melting point of the slags reveals that the smelting temperature of the ancient process was about 1200°C. It is suggested that arsenical copper might be made at this site by smelting copper sulphide ore and some arsenic ores. This seems to be a quite different process from that practised in the Central Plains area of China during the same period. </p> <p> Based on the data available to date, it is pointed out that the Xinjiang region entered the Bronze Age around the beginning of the second millennium BC and its bronze technology underwent considerable development during the first millennium BC. Further studies are required into the relationship between Xinjiang and adjacent regions with respect to early metallurgy. </p>
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