The Yenan Smelting Site

The Yenan Smelting Site

The Yenan Smelting Site is a cultural heritage protection unit of Shanxi Province.

The Yenan Smelting Site (Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites)

Era: Han Dynasty

Address: North of Yenan Village, Tangxing Town, Yicheng County, Linfen City

The Yenan Smelting Site is located to the north of Yenan Village, Tangxing Town, Yicheng County, approximately 6 kilometers from the county seat. The site is situated on a terrace on the western bank of the Hui River at the confluence of the river’s main course and its tributary, the Zhaijia River. The land slopes from north to south, with two north–south gullies in the middle and southern areas. The site covers an area of about 2 million square meters. The northern part of the site is a burial area, while the southern part was used for smelting operations. Exposed remains on the cliff faces include cultural layers and red-fired earth. Artifacts found include large iron chunks, iron ore pieces, pottery mold fragments, iron slag, furnace slag, charcoal, furnace wall remnants, and refractory bricks. The cultural layer is approximately 0.3 to 1.5 meters thick. Collected items include plain gray pottery jars and rope-patterned jar fragments, as well as refractory bricks, pottery mold fragments, ironware fragments, and rope-patterned tile fragments. Discovered in 1996, the site underwent archaeological surveys and targeted excavations between April and May 2002. The northern part mainly consists of a burial area, where 27 Han Dynasty tombs were excavated. These tombs are either earthen cave tombs or brick-chambered tombs, all with tomb passages. Among them, the tamped fill of tomb passages and stepped tomb passages were extremely rare findings in previous Han Dynasty tomb excavations. Excavated pottery includes jars, zun vessels, and stoves, while ironware includes jars, cauldrons, stoves, and three-legged ding vessels. In 2004, the Linfen Municipal People's Government designated the site as a municipal-level cultural heritage protection unit.

Due to soil erosion, the site has developed numerous gullies of varying sizes. On the slope north of the breeding farm within the site, three massive irregular iron chunks can be seen—the largest of which has a diameter of about 1.5 meters and a length of about 5 meters. In the southeastern part of the site, there is a large amount of iron smelting slag, referred to by local villagers as "Iron Slope." The investigation team collected artifacts here such as iron ore chunks, pottery mold fragments, and refractory bricks.

The site is located on a terrace on the western bank of the Hui River at the confluence of the river’s main course and its tributary, the Zhaijia River. The terrain slopes from north to south, with two north–south gullies in the middle and southern areas. Currently, the main channel of the Xiaohekou Irrigation District runs through the site. Most of the area north of the main channel has been acquired by the Yigang Co., Ltd. factory complex, while the southern part is relatively well preserved.

The site covers an area of nearly 2 million square meters. Cultural layers, red-fired earth, and various artifacts—including large iron chunks, iron ore chunks, pottery mold fragments, slag, charcoal, and pottery—have been found. This site is a Han Dynasty-era iron smelting facility, one of the very few of its kind discovered in the province and relatively well preserved. It holds significant value for understanding the development of ironware during the Western Han period.

Source: Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau

Yenan Village: Yenan Village…… More detailed information about Yenan Village++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units