内蒙古化学史研究Ⅲ青铜的出现和冶炼

THE HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY IN INNER MONGOLIA Ⅲ.THE INVENTION AND USE OF BRONZE IN INNER MONGOLIA

青铜的出现和冶炼在生产力的发展上具有划时代的意义，在人类历史上有一个时期被称作“青铜时代”。铜的冶炼是化学史中的一件大事，因为这是人类第一次用化学方法从天然矿石中提炼的金属。本文探索内蒙古地区最早青铜器的出现和青铜的冶炼问题。考古资料表明，早在距今３１００多年前，内蒙古地区已有大型青铜器出现，并有可能是当地铸造的；到了战国时期（公元前４０３年～前２２１年），青铜器已大量使用，青铜冶铸业相当发达。

The invention of bronze,an alloy containing copper,tin and lead,marked a major event in man’s history, which ushered in a new era named The Bronze Age.It was also a major event in the history of chemistry as it made a beginning in the use of a ehemieal process the extraction of metals from their ores,In this paper,the question when men in Inner Mongolia started making and using bronze is investigated.Archaeological material shows that the invention of bronze in Inner Mongolia dates back about 3100 years,i.e.,in the Shang Yin Dynasty, and became extensively used in the Warring States Period(403-221 B.C.).