China unearthed the ancient bronze mirror manufacturing workshop

Chinese archaeologists said on April 24 that a bronze mirror factory was built 2,000 years ago in Shandong Province, eastern China.

Deputy director of the archaeological institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Mr. Bai Yunxiang said that while conducting excavations in a village near Zibo city, archaeologists have found more than 100 molds made of stone, casting furnace, water well and bellows.

An archaeologist introduces an unearthed bronze mirror
in an ancient tomb in Henan Province, China. (Source: Xinhua)

According to Bach, this is the first time archaeologists have unearthed a bronze mirror manufacturing workshop and discovered this archaeological treasure provides a wealth of valuable materials on the ancient Chinese bronze-making techniques.

Archaeologists determine that this workshop dates back to the early Han Dynasty, reigning from 202 BC until 220. This is the period when polished bronze mirrors became popular items in families.

The stone molds found in the workshop also carry many characteristics of this period, with dragon-shaped carvings and grass-leaf designs.

Discovered in 2011, the archaeological site is said to be in an "industrial park" of the ancient citadel of Linzi, a flourishing trading center under the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 BC until 221 years ago). CN).

Earlier, archaeologists also excavated the area in an iron processing factory.