Abstract
Abstract This study analyzed metallurgical remains from the Fengweiqing iron smelting site at Wase Town, Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province, southwest China. Radiocarbon dating showed that the site was occupied approximately between 890 and 1025 CE, corresponding to the late Nanzhao Kingdom and the early Dali Kingdom. Analyses of slag and ore samples from the site revealed that bloomery iron smelting was performed at this site. Metallographic observation of the primary products and metal particles in the slag showed that they were mainly steel, making Fengweiqing the only archeological site currently known in China to produce steel directly through the bloomery process. This study adds new knowledge on iron metallurgy in ancient Yunnan, which is essential for investigating ancient iron production in this region and the technological and cultural exchange with surrounding areas during the Nanzhao Kingdom and early Dali Kingdom period.
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