China’s emerging demand and development of a key base metal: Zinc in the Ming and early Qing, c. 1400–1680s

Abstract

The history of zinc in general and its contribution to China’s material culture during the late Ming and early Qing period in particular is obscure. Specific issues have remained understudied, especially the historical demand for and production of this metal, as well as the locations of zinc mines. This article is the result of collaborative research that approaches these issues by employing and examining the historical development of zinc’s commodity chain, in general, and by focusing on the early demand, in particular, for this metal. The authors discuss the emergence of demand for metallic zinc as a mint metal in the Ming, which spatially influenced the development and shift of zinc mining development from Guangdong province northwards and finally to Guizhou province in the Ming–Qing transition. Based upon primary Chinese texts, this article geographically situates the locations of zinc bearing ore (calamine) deposits that directly resulted in investing and developing zinc mines over this period.