The research on the history of refining technology of gold and silver in Japan based on experimental verification of "cupellation"

本研究的目的是通过实验验证制酒的过程，在此过程中，金银被提纯，并确认其在日本的历史。在日本的技术史上，按时间顺序揭示金属生产的过程是非常重要的。但是，由于古代文献资料少，特别是古代文献资料少，传统的依靠文献记录的方法难以获得真实的图像。本研究的特点是在对有关金属制品的考古遗址新出土物品进行科学调查的基础上进行研究。用铅提纯金银的技术，一般被认为是“酒杯法”。对岩上银山银矿遗址出土的器皿进行了科学的研究。更详细的品酒系统也得到了实验验证。这证实了酿酒炉的形式和材料是按时间顺序变化的。到目前为止，人们一直认为酒制技术是在1533年传到岩上银山银矿的。此次研究结果表明，在日本古代最高等级的生产遗址之一奈良县的浅冢池遗址，7世纪下半叶用铅提纯金银的技术已经具备。这是一种可以说是所谓的杯酒原型的技术。这是改写日本科学技术史的重要成果。此外，研究人员还发现，从15世纪下半叶到16世纪上半叶，山梨县的Kai金矿群可能一直在使用类似的技术。因此，笔者认为，本研究有可能从实证上为厘清我国“杯酒”的技术谱系做出贡献。

The purpose of this research is to verify experimentally the process of cupellation, in which gold and silver is purified, and to confirm its history in Japan. To reveal the process of metal production chronologically is very important in the history of technology in Japan ; but, it is too difficult for a conventional approach which depends on old documents and records to gain the real image, because there are few documents especially in the ancient time. It is the feature of this research that the research is based on the scientific investigation to the newly excavated objects in the archaeological site concerning to metal productions. The technology purifying gold and silver with lead is, in general, recognized as "cupellation". In the Iwami Ginzan silver mine site, the excavated objects as to cupellation were scientifically investigated. The more-detailed cupellation system was also experimentally verified. It was confirmed that there was a chronological change in the forms and materials of furnaces for cupellation. Up to now, the technology of cupellation has been assumed to have been conveyed to the Iwami Ginzan silver mine in 1533. In this research, it was examined that the technology purifying gold and silver with lead in the latter half of the seventh century in the Asuka-Ike site in Nara Prefecture, which was one of the highest class production sites in ancient Japan, had been able to be done. It is a technology that can say that this is a prototype of so-called cupellation. This fact is important as a big result that rewrites the history of the science and technology in Japan. Moreover, the possibility that a similar technology had been being done from the latter half of the fifteenth century to the first half of the sixteenth century by the group of the Kai gold mines in Yamanashi Prefecture was found. Thus, it is thought that it was possible to contribute to clarifying a technical genealogy of "Cupellation" in our country empirically by this research.