Mining and metallurgy in Southwest China, 14th to 19th century: Archaeo-metallurgical investigations and historical geography

该项目将对中国西南地区的金属采矿遗址进行系统的考古冶金调查、文献记录和调查，重点是帝制晚期（1368-1911）。通过对迄今为止研究不足的时期和地区的探索，申请人希望提供基础研究，并为未来的研究保存记录，材料和遗址。预期研究结果将有助于解决中国采矿史上冶金技术转变方面的未决问题，以及主要是非礼仪的技术专门知识领域的传统和创新方面的问题。我们知道，从14世纪开始，在云南省和邻近的四川、贵州地区以及中国、缅甸和越南的边境地区，铜、银和其他金属矿藏的开采经历了前所未有的扩张，在18世纪又经历了一次扩张。然而，由于帝制中国的采矿业，特别是在帝制后期，几乎没有文献记载，许多方面仍然未知。我们仍然无法确定许多重要的地雷的位置，而其他地点是偶然发现的，但无法确定日期或身份。采矿的加强显然涉及技术和组织的革新，但人们对这些变革的了解仍然不够充分。通过采用跨学科的方法，合作项目将获得新的材料记录。为了确定地点，我们将在广泛的数据上使用历史地理学，特别是集中在地名集群上。本地化将使合作伙伴能够开展有针对性的实地工作，记录材料遗存和口头传统，并对矿石、炉渣和其他遗存进行取样。中方合作伙伴将对样品进行材料分析，而申请方将对收集到的数据进行基于gis的分析。在这些科学资料的基础上，本项目将对帝制后期中国西南采冶的历史变迁进行重建。该项目的四个目标是：第一，全面记录现场遗迹和记录，以保存文化遗产和未来的研究。这方面非常紧迫，因为遗迹和传统目前正在消失。二是对冶金技术进行系统、科学的改造。第三，在地方社会、区域间流动、移民、书面和口头知识、运输和商业、自然环境和不断变化的景观的背景下，对技术传统和创新进行基于gis的分析。第四，在人类历史上不同地区和时代的不同知识传播和体现结构的比较背景下，分析技术创新和专业知识传统。

The proposed project will undertake the systematic archaeo-metallurgical survey, documentation and investigation of sites of metal mining in the Southwest of China, with the focus on the late imperial period (1368-1911). Through the exploration of the hitherto under-researched period and region, the applicants intend to provide basic research as well as conserve records, materials and sites for future research. Research results are expected to contribute to open issues in the history of mining in China in the transformation of metallurgical technologies and in traditions and innovations in a largely non-liturgical area of technological expertise.We know that the exploitation of metal deposits of copper, silver and other metals in Yunnan province and adjacent areas of Sichuan and Guizhou as well as in the borderland zone of China, Burma and Vietnam experienced an unprecedented expansion from the fourteenth century onwards, and again during the eighteenth century. However, as the mining sector in imperial China, especially during the late imperial period, is scarcely documented, many aspects remain unknown. We are still unable to locate numerous important mines known by name, while other sites have been found by accident but cannot be dated or identified. The intensification of mining evidently involved technological and organizational innovations, yet these transformations are still insufficiently understood.By employing inter-disciplinary approaches, the cooperative project will access new material records. For the identification of sites, we will employ historical geography on a wide range of data, especially focussing on clusters of place names. The localization will allow the partners to carry out targeted fieldwork for the recording of material remains and oral traditions as well as for sampling ores, slags and other remains. The Chinese partner will undertake material analyses on the samples, while the applicants will carry out GIS-bases analyses on the collected data. On the basis of these scientific data, the project will undertake the reconstruction of the historical transformation of mining and metallurgy in late imperial Southwestern China.The project’s four goals are: First, the comprehensive documentation of on-site remains and records for the preservation of cultural heritage and for future research. This aspect is of great urgency, as remains and traditions are presently vanishing.Second, the systematic and scientific reconstruction of metallurgical technologies. Third, a GIS-based analysis of technological traditions and innovations in the context of of local societies, inter-regional mobility, in-migration, written and oral knowledge, transport and commerce, natural environments and changing landscapes. Fourth, the analysis of technological innovation and traditions of expertise in the comparative context of different structures of transmitting and embodying knowledge in different regions and ages across human history.