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Mining activities in ancient times    by Skymaggie

Mineral industry is one of the oldest areas of productive labor of the human race. The development of the mineral industry and the expansion in the development and utilization of mineral resources have played a great, unreplaceable role in promoting the development of human society and the progress of civilization.

The ancestors of the Chinese nation, like those of many other nations, began to undertake mineral development and utilization activities right from the time of their emergence. The historians’ division of human history into the Paleolithic, Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages is based on the principal, characteristic variety of mineral resources developed and utilized by human beings in different periods. It is just in the process of adapting to, understanding and transforming nature and in the process of discovering, understanding and developing mineral resources that our ancestors have promoted the development of social productivity and the progress of human civilization, thus laying a certain foundation for the current large-scale mineral development. Therefore, in studying the present situation of China’s mineral industry it would be beneficial to make, first of all, a general analysis of the history of its mineral development.

1.2.1 Main Characteristics of the Mineral Activities in the Ancient Times of China

China is one of the few countries in the world that have the longest history of developing and utilizing mineral resources. China’s ancient mineral industry experienced a process of development from unconcious, simple and local mining activities without written records to relatively concious, complicated and nation-wide activities with plentiful historical records. Its main characteristics are described below.

1.2.1.1 An Early Initiation of the Development and Utilization of Mineral Resources

Archeological findings have verified that in the Chinese history Homo erectus wushanensis (2 Ma B.P.) and Homo erectus yuanmoensis (1.7 Ma B.P.) already began to use stony mineral resources to make stone implements. The upper cave man from Beijing (19 ka B.P.) started to use hematite powder as brown paint to coat ornaments. The Neolithic Age saw the use of pottery clay and clay minerals for making pottery, painted pottery and gray pottery. Handicraft articles carved more than 6,000 years ago from black amber have been discovered at a relict site in Xinle, Liaoning Province. At 4,000 a B.P. copper was used to manufecture ornaments, utensils, tools and weapons, thus initiating the transition from the Lithic Age to the Bronze Age. China is one of the countries which invented the iron-smelting technology at the earliest. In between the 6th-7th centries B.C. China successively commanded the technologies of smelting sponge iron and pig iron and began the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age. Pig iron smelting and casting technologies were applied to manufacture implements in China in 650 B.C., at least 1780~1790 years earlier than in the Europe. Between the 14th and 15th centries B.C., China’s iron output already amounted to 12,000 tons, whereas that of the United Kingdom which was the earliest to begin the industrial revolution in the West did not reach this level until about two centuries later. The use of petroleum and zinc metal, the use of coal as fuel and the application of the boring technique to sinking wells to get salt in China all started some hundreds or even thousands of years earlier than in the Europe, too. China’s Qin-Han Dynasties (221 B.C.~219 A.D.) witnessed a thriving period of the mining of salt, copper, iron, gold, silver, tin, lead and mercury ore deposits, with seven kinds of metalliferous ores (iron, copper, etc.) being mined at 103 localities. From 206 B.C. to 589 A.D. coal was substantively exploited in large quantities for use as fuel in iron smelting and in people’s livelihood, and petroleum and natural gas also began to be used as fuel in China. The use of natural gas from wells for boiling brine into salt in Sichuan Province has had a history of 2,000 years or more.

1.2.1.2 A Great Many Varieties of Mineral Resources Discovered, Developed and Utilized

As many as 70~80 varieties of mineral resources were discovered, developed and utilized in ancient times in China. Among them, nonmetallic mineral resources were predominant, metallic mineral resources were of secondary importance, and energy mineral resources came the next.

The varieties of energy mineral resources developed and utilized were coal, stone coal, petroleum, natural gas and geothermals.

The metallic mineral resources under the development and utilization in ancient times included ores of iron, copper, tin, lead, gold, silver, zinc, mercury, antimony, maganese, molybdeum, etc.

As to nonmetallic mineral resources, the varieties the ancient development and utilization involved covered clay, pottery clay, kaolin, marble, granite, quartzite, pumice, gypsum, asbestos, feldspar, phosphorous ore, boron ore, niter, mirabilite, sulphur, mica, alunite, talc, salt, jadestones (Hetian jade, Dushan jade, Youyan jade, etc.), agate, amber, jadeite, turquoise, diamond, rock crystal, realgar, aragonite, coral, stalactite and various stone materials used for carving seals and making inkslabs.

As many as scores of ore varieties were subjected to development and utilization even in a single province (region). According to the records in the book Ancient Mining Records, the provinces where over 50 varieties of mineral resources were mined and put to use are Zhejiang, Shanxi, Hubei, Shaanxi, Hunan, Yunnan, Shandong, Guangdong, etc., of which Zhejiang was the top province which mined and utilized up to 84 ore varieties, and the provinces (regions), which mined less than 15 ore varieties are Liaoning, Jilin, Ningxia, Qinghai and Xizang(Tibet) (Table 1.2.1).

Table 1.2.1 Numbers of ore varieties mined in various provinces (regions) of China in ancient times

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About the Author

Henan Hongxing Mining Machinery Co., Ltd is a joint-stock mining machinery manufacturing enterprise integrated in scientific research, production and marketing. It is located at the High & New Technology Industries Development Zone of Zhengzhou,China with an area of 50 thousand m2 which includes 15,000 m2 of standard heavy duty industrial workshop. Equipments are more than 160 pieces, including large and medium sized metal processing, riveting and installing equipments. There are more than 660 workers including 80 administrators with secondary and senior occupational titles and engineering technicians. In order to promote the competitive strength, the advanced technologies have been introduced from America, Germany, Japan and Australia, which established the international advanced production line, first-class modern testing base as well as research centers of sand maker, mill and mine-selecting equipment. Scientific management, advanced processing technology and innovative manufacturing theory make the company become the mining machinery manufacturing and exporting base in China.

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Create Summer Art Courses in La Cruz Puerto Vallarta   by Tim Longpre

People say that music is the food for life. If music is the food for life then art must be at least the main course or the entrée. I say this because art is essential in developing us as esthetically sound and intellectual beings. Without art life would be quite mundane. Can you imagine a life with no colour? Well, it is very hard to imagine!

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El Centro Cultural de Bellas Artes Riviera Nayarit is situated at Monte Calvario 5 in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Nayarit. This is a great opportunity for you to delve into the world of art and colour. What is most exciting about these courses is that there is no age limit! Do not miss this opportunity and register yourself because the classes have started from the 20th of June 2009!

About the Author

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Mahey Noor
Pino Suarez #210
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco Mexico
Tim at pvrpv.com