A set of ancient crucibles found in Guangzhou is giving archaeologists new clues about how brass-making technology may have reached medieval China. The vessels came from an official metallurgical workshop at the Royal Palace of the Nanyue Kingdom and dated from the ninth and tenth centuries AD. Their metal residues show that craftspeople were producing brass locally through cementation rather than simply working with imported objects. According to a research article published by Cambridge University Press, titled ‘ Brass technology transmission via maritime routes: crucible evidence from southern China ’, points towards wider technological connections with the Islamic world. Guangzhou was a major trading port, and the authors suggest maritime routes may have helped move metallurgical knowledge across regions. The study analysed crucibles using chemical, microscopic and lead-isotope methods. Together, the findings provide direct archaeological evidence for medieval brass production in southern China and offer clues about how the technology may have travelled.
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