重庆丰都三峡地区宋代油桐材料的发现与意义

The Discovery and Significance of Tung Tree Materials of Song Dynasty in the Three Gorges Region of Fengdu in Chongqing

油桐(Vernicia fordii)是起源于中国的油料树种;利用油桐种子提炼的桐油是非常重要的工业原料,在中国古代工业及世界近现代工业生产中产生过巨大影响。油桐开发、利用从唐代以来已有较多文献资料介绍,中国现代经济史研究中也一直把油桐种植史作为热点之一,但在考古发现中却一直未获得过古代油桐树实物标本。2013年,重庆市文化遗产研究院、重庆师范大学研究人员在重庆市丰都县瓦啄嘴遗址考古发掘工作中,从一座宋代瓷窑火膛里发现了宋代油桐树实物材料,这是在中国国内首次发现古代油桐树实物标本。所发现的材料包括10枚油桐树种子和一些树干(木炭)标本。从种子形态观察,所发现油桐应属于三年桐的栽培品种。木炭标本的切片观察结果,也证明该标本属于油桐树木材。该发现表明:文献中记录三峡地区广泛种植的油桐应属于三年桐系列,三峡地区很可能是我国三年桐品种经济林发源地。木材消耗量巨大的瓷窑烧造生产中,把油桐树作为燃料利用,反映宋代三峡地区古居民对油桐树的开发利用,已形成了油料资源(种子)、柴薪资源(树干)的经济林综合利用模式。该经济林经营模式对今天的三峡库区生态文明建设具有重要参考价值。

Tung tree （Vernicia fordii） is a sort of oil--producing tree exclusively originated in China. Tung oil, abstracted by means of its seeds was utilized as an important industry products material, which played a significant pole in ancient Chinese handcraft in- dustry and even early modern world industry. The exploitation of Tung trees was recorded by many historical documents since Tang Dynasty, and its plantation has been focused by economists. However, no practicality material had been discovered until the collection of Tung tree remains, including 10 seeds and some carbon remains at Wazhuozui Site of Fengdu County, Chongqing in 2013, which was a crucial archaeological discovery in recent years. Morphological and micro analysis suggested that these seeds samples originated from V. fordii, meaning the Three Gorges Region perhaps was originating place where the first cultivation of V. fordii began. The carbon remain also suggested that this tree once was used as primary fuel, which might be closely related a possible comprehensive utilization mode of V. fordii as significant economic tree in Song Dynasty.