Iron production at the Zhujiazui site of the late Tang dynasty in Ezhou, South China

This study investigates iron production at the Zhujiazui site in Ezhou, Hubei Province, dating to the late 8th to the early 10th century AD. Macroscopic classification, metallographic analysis, and SEM-EDS examination of slags and iron artifacts were combined with reassessment of archaeological contexts. The analytical results of slags indicate operations within a cast iron technological system rather than bloomery smelting or a fining process. The absence of iron ore and ore-processing debris, together with ceramic molds and cast iron artifacts, suggests that the excavated area was primarily used for melting and casting of cast iron. Elevated CaO and MgO content in some slags may suggest the use of dolomitic flux, while charcoal impressions provide direct evidence for charcoal fuel. The site’s location and regional context raise the possibility that it participated in wider systems of metal supply and product circulation.