Chapter 239 Overlapping Remains

The slope was quite steep; small cars couldn't make it, and pickup trucks could only go halfway up.

After getting off the car, Ren Xinbo helped Shui Jisheng up the slope.

It was a long walk; we walked fifty or sixty meters before we reached the place where the probe was standing.

Looking down again: there are still three hoeing pipes, a total length of six meters, filled with soil.

The first half meter is topsoil, the middle half meter is an intermittent layer, and the third layer is a subsoil layer more than one meter thick.

At about three meters, things resembling black stone fragments began to appear. Shui Jisheng picked up a small piece and slowly rubbed it in his hand.

It's very brittle; it crumbles easily when pinched, just like stone powder.

He held it under his nose again and smelled it: "Red bricks from the kiln roof?"

"Yes, after years of burning, it's long since become as brittle as coal!"

Lin Sicheng nodded, squatted down and dug around a few times. At about three and a half meters, something that looked like a gemstone appeared in the soil.

There are fragments and flakes, and the more you go down, the more there are.

After fiddling around for a few more moments, Lin Sicheng pulled out a teardrop-shaped object.

With a long tail, iridescent colors, and blurred edges, it resembled a rainbow reflected in a water droplet.

Upon closer inspection, it was found to contain scattered air bubbles.

The group of people were stunned: What is this, glass?

"Pretty much. If it came from a ceramic kiln, then it's kiln sweat!"

Lin Sicheng picked out a few more pieces of debris, explaining, "This is from the chemical reaction between the minerals in the ash and elements such as silicon, iron, and copper in the kiln wall and the ceramic blanks during the high-temperature environment of the wood-fired kiln, which melted into a liquid state."

"It usually adheres to the surface of the kiln walls, ceiling, or flue, accumulating over years, repeatedly melting and cooling to form a glassy layer. It's mostly crystalline or layered in flakes; teardrop shapes are rare. Of course, kiln sweat itself is also uncommon..."

It's not just rare, it's extremely rare.

The formation of this substance is extremely complex. First of all, the fuel must be pure, natural, and pollution-free firewood, such as pine or cypress; charcoal is not acceptable.

Secondly, the kiln temperature must reach over 1200 degrees Celsius to produce kiln sweat. Furthermore, multiple firings are required to gradually thicken the kiln and form crystalline or flaky structures.

To form dripping kiln sweat in a wood-fired kiln at a maximum temperature of around 1200 degrees Celsius, it would take at least 15 years of continuous firing.

Furthermore, it requires many years of smelting and layering to form, so only under extremely rare circumstances, when metallic elements such as iron and copper are excessively fused together, can this rainbow-like halo effect be created.

To put it simply: it cannot be controlled by humans, and even if modern technology were to imitate it, it would not be able to replicate this natural blurring effect.

But that's not the point. The point is that since kiln sweat was found deep in the soil, it means there must have been a kiln under their feet.

Let's calculate, has it been an hour since we got off the bus?

This also includes assigning tasks to each group, assembling machines, drilling and exploration, and other processes. Putting all that aside, from the time Chief Engineer Shui pointed out the location of the discovered sample to Lin Sicheng determining the location of the kiln at the core of the site, less than half an hour had passed.

Let me recall: He simply walked around the pine forest, then went up to the mountaintop for a quick look...

It feels as easy and simple as eating and drinking.

Of course, it can't be that simple. As Chief Engineer Shui said, if it were that simple, he would have found it forty or fifty years ago.

Just as they were filled with doubt and uncertainty, Gao Zhangyi's voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Teacher Lin, Teacher Lin, Team One has discovered a pile of porcelain clay, about two meters below the surface. Team Two has discovered a lime washing pool, about four meters underground."

Everyone looked up.

Not far away, less than a hundred meters from here, there's a triangular red flag. About thirty or forty meters further on, there's another one.

That pole in the distance is definitely the raw material area, and the one closer is the washing pool. Let me recall: it perfectly overlaps with the location marked on Lin Sicheng's initial sketch.

The group of people looked at each other in bewilderment:

If the search took a long time, it wouldn't be too surprising: after all, it took the city leaders themselves to invite Lin Sicheng from Xi'an, so he must have some extraordinary abilities.

It's only right that we're a little better than them.

But from beginning to end, it only takes an hour? The key point is, wherever Lin Sicheng points, that's where they are. How are they supposed to understand that?

To be honest, most of the people standing here today aren't complete novices; half of them either have an archaeology background or work in an archaeology-related field. But has anyone ever heard of Lin Sicheng's approach to archaeology—so casual, like strolling through the streets, yet so incredibly accurate?

It felt as if Lin Sicheng had overseen the construction of this brick kiln.

The group of people were stunned, but Lin Sicheng remained calm.

"This is the firing area, the clay pile is the raw material area, the washing pool belongs to the workshop area... In other words, three of the four core auxiliary facilities of a porcelain kiln have already been discovered. If we find the finished product warehouse or the waste pit, its significance and value will be no less than that of the old kiln site..."

Shui Jisheng wholeheartedly agreed: "Of course!"

Although they are smaller, one is from the Qing Dynasty and the other from the Tang Dynasty. From a historical perspective, they are worlds apart!

Moreover, this is the first time it has been discovered...

Lin Sicheng put the water droplets of kiln sweat into a specimen bag: "Professor Huang, let's use this as an exhibition specimen, don't ruin it!"

Huang Zhifeng carefully took it.

No wonder he was so careful: this one drop, if given to a discerning collector, could easily be exchanged for a piece of Tianhuang stone as thick as an egg.

Lin Sicheng continued to dig through the soil in the shovel, but this time he moved to the bottom, which was the deepest layer.

After rummaging around for a while, he picked out a few more pieces: "Teacher Shui, look, this layer also has kiln sweat!"

Yes, there are some, and they're in patches. They're not as nice as the previous one. Most of them are dark gray and blackish brown, and some even have crackle patterns.

Roughly speaking: the part where the water droplet-shaped kiln sweat forms must be the top of the kiln. So, about three meters away from the top of the kiln, what area of ​​the kiln should form the patchy kiln sweat?

There is only one: the bottom of the kiln.

Another problem arises: kiln sweat only forms in three places: the kiln top, the kiln wall, and the flue. Since the kiln wall cannot be built on the kiln bottom, that leaves only the flue.

But the flue is at the bottom, and most people have never even heard of a kiln with this structure.

Just as he was wondering, Lin Sicheng straightened up, took the paper and pen from Fang Jin's hand, and scribbled a few lines.

Although it's a simple line drawing, it's clear and easy to understand.

"A kiln looks something like this: the firebox and the kiln chamber are on the same level, a pit is dug under the kiln chamber, with fire-absorbing holes, and below that is the flue..."

We should be standing in the kiln chamber, which should be about five to eight meters long. Try to avoid it. Don't drill too deep. Use a short drilling tool and check every half meter..."

Tian Jie took the blueprints and rearranged the team members.

Lin Sicheng turned around and looked at Shui Jisheng: "Teacher Shui, this one should belong to the early to middle period. There must be other kilns of the middle and late periods around it. You take a rest, I'll go upstream to take a look!"

"Okay!" Shui Jisheng smiled. "You go about your business, don't worry about me!"

Tian Jie wanted to expand the exploration area, but this place was in the way, so the group went down the slope.

"It's ready to be cooked with water," Ren Xinbo said, trying hard to recall. "Teacher, I don't think I've ever seen the kind of kiln that Lin Gong painted before?"

Shui Jisheng thought for a moment: "Have you ever seen a dragon kiln?"

Ren Xinbo nodded: "I've met you before!"

Built on a hillside, shaped like a long dragon, it is also known as a sloping dragon kiln.

Lin Sicheng's painting, however, looks like this:

At first glance, the two are very similar in appearance: the firebox is at the bottom of the kiln, the kiln chamber is in the middle, and the chimney is at the back.

However, a closer look at the interior reveals a fundamental difference: the dragon kiln itself serves as a flue, and its length allows for segmented heating. The advantage of this design is that high-temperature porcelain, low-temperature porcelain, and even large pottery can be fired in the same batch within the same kiln.

The type painted by Lin Sicheng has a shorter kiln chamber, and there is a specially reserved fire-absorbing hole at the bottom, below which is the flue, which has several bends.

It feels really weird.

Shui Jisheng looked at his prized disciple: "Have you ever seen a semi-downdraft type horseshoe kiln?"

Ren Xinbo nodded: "Of course, the ancient kiln from the Sui Dynasty in Jinyang (Taiyuan) that you discovered, teacher, is a semi-downdraft horseshoe flame kiln!"

Shui Jisheng didn't say anything more, but sighed.

Ren Xinbo paused for a moment, and a thought flashed through his mind: the Sui Dynasty horseshoe kiln in Jinyang had its flue located at the very bottom, and the kiln chamber was even shorter, with fire-absorbing holes at the bottom as well.

If we combine this part with the sloping dragon kiln, wouldn't it be the same type that Lin Sicheng painted?

Upon further reflection, Ren Xinbo gradually realized: Why are the flue and the fire extraction hole located at the bottom?

Because the flames rise upwards, they first reach the top of the kiln, and then, driven by the suction force from the flame extraction holes, they rebound downwards. This means the flames directly cover the kiln body, resulting in the porcelain receiving even higher temperatures.

Why does the flue have so many bends?

The same principle applies: to prevent rapid heat loss and extend the time that the high temperature remains in the kiln chamber.

Then think about the bowl the teacher bought; it would require a temperature of at least 1400 degrees Celsius to fire. Ordinary dragon kilns or horseshoe kilns, however, only reach a maximum temperature of around 1200 degrees Celsius, which is too high for most kilns.

Only by combining the two can the glaze temperature of that bowl, which is similar to that of jade, be achieved.

In an instant, Ren Xinbo realized:

From the very beginning, Lin Sicheng was certain that the kiln here must be the "downdraft kiln" he had described, otherwise it wouldn't have been able to fire that bowl.

Therefore, it can be inferred that the kiln must have been built on a gentle slope at the foot of the mountain.

Once you arrive and look at the spot where the bowl was found, and compare it with the distance to the hillside, you can deduce the exact location of the kiln and its auxiliary facilities.

Even if there is some error, it won't be much.

what does that mean?

This means that even before arriving here, Lin Sicheng had already sketched out the layout of the ruins based solely on that bowl. Once he arrived, he only needed to determine one or two coordinates and then apply the already drawn layout diagram. That's why it was so fast.

But it's just a bowl?

What is this? Remote archaeology, telepathic exploration?

To be honest, this is even harder to accept than Lin Sicheng casually strolling around the old kiln site and finding the kiln site with a single stroke of his shovel.

Ren Xinbo felt something was wrong the more he thought about it: How many years of accumulation would it take to reach this level of "knowing the whole leopard from a single spot"?

The problem is, Lin Sicheng is only in his early twenties?

After a moment's thought, having already descended the slope and reached the car, Ren Xinbo finally realized: "Teacher, is this type of kiln the first of its kind discovered in the province?"

"That's utter nonsense! How did you become the director of the Cultural Relics Bureau?" Shui Jisheng glared at him. "Don't you know whether any artifacts have been unearthed in the province?"

Ren Xinbo was stunned.

Of course he knew.

But Lin Sicheng kept talking about Dongkeng Kiln, and he mistakenly thought it was a small, workshop-style kiln, never connecting it to the bowl his teacher had.

But now that I think about it: a kiln temperature of 1,400 degrees Celsius is something that even the highest kiln temperature in the Tang Dynasty, the Xing kiln, and even the Ding kiln in the Song Dynasty could not reach.

To put it another way: this isn't just happening within the province; it should be the first time this has been discovered nationwide...

Suddenly, Ren Xinbo's heart began to pound uncontrollably.

He glanced at Tian Jie and his team members who were scouting on the slope, and was about to say something when Shui Jisheng shook his head:

"It shouldn't be this one! This kiln can produce kiln sweat, so it must be a wood-fired kiln, but the temperature of a wood-fired kiln is the highest, only reaching 1200 degrees Celsius!"

"But that bowl needs to be fired at 1400 degrees Celsius. So there must have been more than just one kiln, there must have been several. In addition, Kobayashi deduced that besides the wood-fired kiln, there should also have been coal-fired kilns in the Beiwuqin area!"

Ren Xinbo's eyes widened: What is that, a coal mine?

All historical records indicate that the use of coal to fire porcelain began in the Song Dynasty. Archaeological discoveries also confirm this: the earliest coal-fired porcelain kiln discovered to date is the Mentougou Kiln in the Liao Dynasty, roughly in the mid-Northern Song Dynasty.

It's as if Lin Sicheng simply moved his mouth and pushed back the history of coal-fired porcelain in China by two hundred years.

But it's still not right.

Even when burning coal, the kiln temperature was generally only around 1300 degrees Celsius. For example, the Ding kiln, which had the highest kiln temperature in the Song Dynasty, burned coal. Archaeological discoveries show that the highest kiln temperature was only 1320 degrees Celsius.

So, where does the 1400-degree glaze temperature required for this bowl come from?

Shui Jisheng smiled and said, "We've discussed it. Xiaolin speculates that it's very likely a coking coal-fired porcelain kiln..."

Ren Xinbo's eyelids twitched twice, and he opened his mouth, unsure of what to say.

Is this starting to sound increasingly unreliable?

Smoldering charcoal also began in the Song Dynasty, and even later than firing porcelain with coal: the remains of coke ovens discovered to date are in Handan, Hebei, roughly in the late Northern Song Dynasty and early Jin Dynasty.

There is a Jin Dynasty tomb in Jishan County, Yuncheng, where coke has also been excavated. It also dates from the late Northern Song Dynasty to the early Jin Dynasty.

At that time, it was only used for iron smelting or glassmaking. The Ming Dynasty book "Physical Miscellany" states: "(Coal) that smells bad is refined into coke, which is then used to boil glass."

The earliest record of using coke to fire porcelain dates back to the Chenghua period, and it was only used to fire decorated porcelain, such as doucai (enamel overglaze) porcelain.

In this way, even if we start from around 900 years ago in the late Tang Dynasty, to 1465 when Chenghua ascended the throne, Lin Sicheng pushed back the history of firing porcelain with coke in China by more than 500 years.

The key point is that it's not just about firing porcelain; it may also involve the history of metallurgy: given the warlike nature of our ancestors, how could they not use coking coal, which is so useful, to forge weapons?

Ren Xinbo instinctively felt it was impossible and shook his head: "Teacher, you also think it's impossible, right?"

Shui Jisheng laughed again: "How can you say for sure?"

That's what they say, but subconsciously, Shui Jisheng also felt that the possibility was slim.

He was more inclined to believe Lin Sicheng's initial assessment: that bowl was most likely a kiln-fired porcelain.

In other words: it's all about luck, beyond human control.

So apart from this one, no other similar discoveries have been made, which is why it was solemnly enshrined in the Kiln God Temple...

Just as I was pondering this, Tian Jie's voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Teacher Lin, come and take a look. Position number three should be a superimposed type of relic..."

What specific findings were made?

"About ten meters from the previous exploration point, we discovered coke-like material, but it's buried rather shallowly, about two meters deep..."

Everyone was stunned.

What did I just say?

Coking coal type porcelain kilns...

(End of this chapter)