According to Reports, the formulas for manufacturing metal were found in a roughly 2,300-year-old Chinese text that the researchers have now effectively decoded. Six chemical formulas are found in the “Kaogong ji”, a work of literature from 300 BC, for the production of particular metals.
Every formula specifically names two components: Jin and Xi. Some scientists asserted that they “don’t exist anymore,” but others thought they might be made of copper and tin. A research by the Cambridge University , however, suggests that Jin and Xi may now be referring to the ready-made alloys used to produce early Chinese bronze.
The researchers are certain that Jin and Xi are referring to mixtures of the kind that are used to create alloys, even if they haven’t yet identified the specific composition.
The “Kaogong ji” passage can be found in the book “The Rites of Zhou,” which is attributed to eminent historian Liu Xin. The formulas still need to be fully understood despite receiving a lot of scholarly attention.
It is believed that the inscription contributed to the regulation of metal production in ancient China. “This reading of the six recipes facilitates us to effectively reflect the invisible manufacturing processes concealed in the metallurgical and transmission process, and recognise the tremendous variation of the alloying content of artefacts dated to the Chinese Bronze Age”, researchers wrote in their paper.
image credit : wikimedia commons
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