Archaeologists of central China's Hubei Province have unearthed the ruins of a group of iron-casting workshops of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) in Xishui County in Huanggang City.

Covering three square kilometers, the ruins are over 30 kilometers from the county town of Xishui and six kilometers from the embankment of the Yangtze River. The site was first discoveredin 2001 on the north bank of the Yangtze.

Archaeologists discovered large quantities of fragments of casting molds in various shapes, as well as ruins of kilns and ash pits during their recent excavations at the site.

The total weight of relics unearthed at the site reached 10 tons, according to Hong Gang, curator of Huanggang City Museum.

Archaeologists also found a chip of a casting mold which carried the words "imperial Song".

Judging from the words, "imperial Song", and characteristics ofporcelain of the same age, archaeologists concluded that the date of this group of casting workshops started from the Song Dynasty and ended in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Liu Yu, who participated in recent excavations, said the unearthed mold chips were abandoned after being used.

Experts from the Chinese University of Science and Technology and Shanghai Silicate Research Institute made tests on the mold chips and concluded that they were used for iron casting.

According to county annals, Xishui developed a casting industryin the Ming Dynasty. The discovery of Song casting workshops advanced the history of the county's casting industry by over 400 years.

Hong Gang, the curator, said the ruins enriched the content of China's metallurgy and casting industries and provided important material for studying the local economy and the traditions and customs of local people.
 
(Xinhua News Agency March 18, 2004)