Chapter 232 Unprecedented and Unparalleled
The stand-mounted mechanical drill bit is simple to assemble, but has considerable power.
Three two-meter-long drill rods were connected, and with a few "whooshing" sounds, they drilled to the bottom.
There was absolutely no obstruction. What does that mean?
Within six meters, it was all soil, which shows how deep the pit was.
The drill rod was reversed and pulled out section by section, attracting a crowd.
This time, the soil layers that were unearthed were even more chaotic: the first layer was intermittent fine soil, the second layer was the original soil that should have been buried deep underground, then there was semi-disturbed subsoil, and finally the mature soil that should have been on the surface.
The first three layers were fine, each only thirty to fifty centimeters deep. But the bottom layer of topsoil was a full one and a half to sixteen meters deep, and it was all made of wood ash.
A group of archaeologists blinked: What did Lin Sicheng say before the sacrifice?
Tian Suo, Captain Gao, you can go down without worry. There should be a pit of wood ash down there.
Sure enough, it was a pond of plant ash.
Lin Sicheng squatted down and carefully examined it: the color was black with a hint of gray, very fine, smooth, light, and pure.
Judging from the material, it should be made of poplar wood that has been smoldered at a low temperature and then ground and washed.
An old saying goes: "No glaze can be made without ash." This stuff has only one purpose: to adjust the glaze.
Where there is a wood ash pool, there must also be other glazes and glaze mixing facilities.
He clapped his hands and looked around: "Tian Suo, Captain Gao: Send a team to explore this pit over there. It should be a wood ash washing pool..."
"Send another team to the edge of the pit to explore that raised mound of earth; there should be limestone underneath... A little further west, about twenty to forty meters, there should be a small ash kiln (a mixture of wood ash and limestone fired to make glaze ash)..."
"The third team is heading east. See that slightly square-shaped platform on the riverbank? There's definitely white porcelain clay for glazing there. That big pit next to it is likely a mud-washing pit. So be careful when you're drilling: if you encounter anything that looks like a wooden or stone structure, stop for a moment; that could very well be a waterwheel and a stone mill for grinding porcelain clay..."
As he explained, Lin Sicheng picked up a twig and drew a line on the ground: "Judging from this, this area should be the glaze preparation area: send another team to explore the area along the riverbank, about 60 to 80 meters east to west and about 50 meters north to south..."
Gao Zhangyi was taken aback: "Teacher Lin, the glaze mixing area alone is three to four thousand square meters?"
"Yes, it's about five to six acres, so the porcelain kiln site can't be small!"
It's more than just large; the overall area is at least thirty acres.
A site of ten mu or more would be considered outside the scope of a workshop and would be called a "kiln factory".
Tian Jie and Gao Zhangyi assigned tasks, while the others formed a circle and continued their discussion.
Wang Qizhi stood with his hands on his hips, looking around: he could barely make out the width of the ancient riverbed, the banks were empty, and overgrown with weeds.
There are gravel faults close to the foot of the mountain. They are not very thick, but they are very even. It should be an ancient road that was destroyed by water.
Further up, you can see the exposed coal seams in the mountains, and besides that, there are these large pits around.
If there was a coal mine here, that's no problem; there are roads and traces of open-pit mining. Anyone with a basic understanding of geological geology can tell.
But as for the possibility of a mining accident that might have buried a porcelain kiln... he couldn't tell no matter how he looked at it.
After pondering for a while, still without any clue, Wang Qizhi looked at Tian Jie again.
Tian Jie sighed: Lin Sicheng's basis should be these few large pits and the fault line of the ancient gravel road.
If it is a naturally formed pond or lake, it can be in an open, low-lying plain, or on a relatively flat hillside, or even on a mountaintop, but it will never be on a riverbank.
Have you ever seen a lake that is above the river level and right next to the river channel?
This goes against common geological knowledge. If it exists, there is only one possibility: it was formed by a geological disaster after the riverbed dried up.
For example, earthquakes and collapses.
The ancient road fault at the foot of the mountain can also confirm this, but strangely, the surrounding strata are intact.
If the mountains are natural, the river channels are intact, and even the relatively loose, easily landslide-prone exposed coal seams are undamaged, then earthquakes that could cause large-scale geological changes can be ruled out.
This area is a coal mining area, which suggests that a mining accident, such as a collapse, has occurred here.
Secondly, if it were a large-scale collapse, it should have been a large pit, not scattered and disorderly like it is now.
At first glance, they vary in size and depth. But if we compare this area to an ancient porcelain kiln, these pits perfectly match the layout of the glaze preparation area: washing pools, stacking pools, stacking platforms, and even grinding pools.
But to be honest, all of these were deductions made by Tian Jie based on the coordinate reference point provided by the wood ash pool. Before discovering the wood ash, Tian Jie couldn't have even imagined it, let alone guessed.
Therefore, the decision to find this place was entirely based on Lin Sicheng's personal subjective judgment. As for how he made that judgment, Tian Jie had no idea.
Just as they were secretly sighing, Liu Ming and Xu Chengyan arrived late. The two stared at their feet, stunned for a moment.
It was a long, mud-stick-like piece, clearly just poured out of the shovel.
The layers are chaotic, and raw and cooked foods are reversed... What does this indicate?
Large-scale geological collapse-type mine disaster.
What else can a layer of plant ash, over a meter deep, be ground so finely and so pure, be used for besides mixing glazes for porcelain?
Let's recall what the two of them said earlier: "Looking for a porcelain kiln here? Have these guys from Shaanxi lost their minds?"
Now, are you going to smoke or not?
The two blinked their eyes, staring at the mud sticks on the ground for a long time, then looked around erratically.
Even if it's a trial survey, there has to be some basis for it, right?
But they saw it clearly: Lin Sicheng only wandered around twice, asked once if there had been any mining accidents here, and then started searching.
Then, with one dip, a pit of wood ash was discovered. What are the odds of that?
Even winning five million in two rounds couldn't be that accurate...
A gasp rang in their ears, and Liu Ming and Xu Chengyan instinctively looked up to see Gao Zhangyi rushing towards them.
Although it wasn't far, he was panting heavily as he ran, holding two specimen bags in his hands. He handed them forward and said, "Teacher Lin...look!"
What is this, adobe brick?
The color is very light, almost grayish-white, and the texture is extremely fine, like clumps of putty powder used for plastering walls.
Glazed fruit, also known as white clay, is mainly composed of sericite, which is made by grinding lightly weathered porcelain stone and then repeatedly pounding it.
Its only function is to be mixed with glaze ash (made from wood ash and limestone) to form a glaze slurry.
This brings us one step closer to Lin Sicheng's hypothesis: these pits around here are the glaze mixing area.
Where was it found?
Gao Zhangyi pointed: "That pit!"
"Explore the surrounding area further and measure the surrounding area!"
"good!"
Gao Zhangyi held the walkie-talkie and gave instructions to his team members.
Liu Ming raised his head, his lips moving slightly: "Teacher Lin... porcelain kiln?"
"Yes, a porcelain kiln!"
How big is it?
Lin Sicheng estimated: "Judging from the distance between the wood ash pit and the white clay washing pool, the glaze preparation area is even about seven acres. Based on this, the kiln site area is estimated to be about thirty acres."
However, these are only sites from the same period and at the same level... In short: it's impossible for the first kiln to be built on such a large scale; it must have started small and gradually expanded until it reached this size.
"In addition, due to changes in river channels and water flow, as well as factors such as the mining and transportation of timber and porcelain clay, the kilns would inevitably have to relocate after a certain number of years of firing. Therefore, there must be even earlier porcelain kiln sites in the surrounding area... Preliminary estimates suggest that the total area is at least fifty acres..."
Xu Chengyan gasped: How much?
Fifty mu, that's more than 30,000 square meters.
A site exceeding 10,000 square meters would be considered a "medium-sized site." But let alone medium-sized, not even a small porcelain kiln has been discovered in Hejin to date.
Just as everyone was filled with doubt and surprise, Gao Zhangyi returned, still carrying two specimen bags. But this time, instead of soil or bricks, he had several pieces of black porcelain.
"Teacher Lin, we've discovered a pit of discarded porcelain next to the glaze clay pool..."
Lin Sicheng nodded, took it, and glanced at it: "Calcium glaze black glaze porcelain, around the middle period of the Qing Dynasty!"
The crowd fell silent: there was a glaze mixing area and a waste porcelain pit; it was undoubtedly a porcelain kiln site.
Seeing that the two looked stunned, Lin Sicheng explained again: "The area is indeed quite large, but the era is not too far back. This circle should be the central site, and also the largest site. Judging from the discarded porcelain, it is roughly from the mid-Qing Dynasty."
There are definitely relics from further back, but the earliest should not be earlier than the late Ming Dynasty... and it is almost certain that they were all made of coarse porcelain for civilian use, mainly black porcelain..."
Not to mention the late Ming Dynasty, even the late Qing Dynasty would fill the historical gaps in Hejin County.
Xu Chengyan still couldn't figure it out: "But why is there no record of this in historical documents?"
Lin Sicheng thought for a moment, then shook his head.
To be honest, he didn't know either.
If it's true that this place wasn't recorded in the Hejin County annals because it belonged to Xiangning County in ancient times, then Guzhen, located ten kilometers to the south and historically belonging to Hejin, also has no historical record of porcelain production.
Lin Sicheng, however, was certain that there must still be porcelain kilns in the Guzhen area. Otherwise, where would those white porcelain and carved porcelain have been fired?
"Teacher Lin, given that this area is so large, why are there no remains on the surface?"
Lin Sicheng succinctly stated: "It was probably buried when the coal mines were opened during the Republic of China era!"
Although there is a lot of coal here, due to inconvenient transportation, it used to be just a small-scale operation.
However, by the time the Republic of China was established, it was necessary to maintain an army, and many mechanical equipment had already become widespread, so the area and depth of development would inevitably increase exponentially.
The key point is that with semi-open-pit mining, the waste soil and slag after coal screening are dumped on the spot. No matter how large the site is, you can't bury it.
If it weren't for the mining accident that created some strange pits on the shore, we might never have discovered it...
After a moment's thought, Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "Director Liu, Director Xu, let's report!"
The two nodded vigorously and simultaneously took out their phones. One reported to the county, and the other reported to the city.
Wang Qizhi glanced at it and also took out his phone.
After saying only a few words, he handed it forward again: "Director He!"
Lin Sicheng took it, and He Zhigang's voice came from inside: "Xiao Lin, I'll be there tomorrow..."
"good!"
After hanging up the phone, Lin Sicheng thought to himself: With Director He here, this part will probably have to be handed over to the local department. There's only one day left; the necessary tests should be done as soon as possible…
"Tensoku, put the glazing area aside for now. Draw two teams: one to survey the approximate area of the site, using this location as the center: 100 meters north to south, 1 kilometer east to west, survey all the riverbanks in this area..."
"The other team, locate the kiln and measure its depth..."
Tian Jie nodded vigorously and made arrangements while holding the walkie-talkie.
Wang Qizhi sighed inwardly.
Previously, it was because of Lin Sicheng's favor, and because He Zhigang repeatedly emphasized and stressed this point, that Tian Jie listened to Lin Sicheng.
But now, Tian Jie was completely convinced: Yes, Lin Sicheng was indeed not a professional archaeologist, but this layman knew more than he, the expert...
As the thought crossed his mind, Gao Zhangyi's voice came through the walkie-talkie again, saying that a stone mill had been found next to the washing pool in Baibuni.
Lin Sicheng told them to continue their exploration.
Without needing his instructions, Shang Yan led the data team over, some taking photos and others drawing diagrams.
Then, the walkie-talkie would occasionally crackle: water mill, waterwheel, porcelain pit, kiln.
More and more discoveries are being made, and the scope of these discoveries is expanding...
It wasn't until 3 p.m. that the phone rang. He Zhigang said he had arrived in Hejin City.
After giving Tian Jie and Gao Zhangyi a few instructions, Lin Sicheng took Wang Qizhi and Shang Yan to the Grand Cherokee.
...
The huge conference room was unusually quiet.
The phone vibrated occasionally, and the secretary tiptoed out. After answering the call, she returned and whispered a few words in the boss's ear.
Several local leaders looked excited, but Wang Qizhi remained calm and composed, sitting as still as a bell.
How professional and authoritative is Lin Sicheng? It's not something he can claim just by talking. If he says there's a kiln site, then there definitely is. It would be abnormal if he couldn't find it.
Unfortunately, they were all black porcelain...
Just then, three figures in camouflage uniforms entered the conference room. He Zhigang glanced at them and paused for a moment.
For more than ten days in a row, they ate and slept in the mountains, and you can imagine what their condition was like.
In comparison, Wang Qizhi and Shang Yan were in a better position. They basically didn't participate in the survey, but their clothes were a bit dirty and they looked a bit haggard.
But Lin Sicheng followed the archaeological team the whole time, and most of the time he explored on his own, going further than the team members.
After being exposed to the wind and sun for more than half a month, his face looked like it was covered in soy sauce, and He Zhigang was almost unrecognizable.
He stood up instinctively, and the other leaders followed suit.
After a brief greeting, they took their seats. Lin Sicheng took the folder from Shang Yan and reported loudly:
"To date, seven kilns have been identified, the earliest dating back to the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, approximately four hundred years ago. The latest dates back to the 1960s. It can be basically confirmed that from the early Qing dynasty until after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the old kiln site has been continuously producing porcelain..."
"Four waste porcelain pits were discovered in the surrounding area, mainly containing black-glazed bowls, followed by brown-glazed jars, pottery vats, pottery pots, etc. The physical samples are extremely abundant."
"In addition, two clay pits and associated mining pits were discovered, along with three fuel pits and three mud storage ponds, as well as processing areas and equipment: waterwheels, stone mortars, and water mills. There were also glazing areas, firing auxiliary areas, etc. The site is 700 meters long from east to west and more than 80 meters from north to south, covering an area of approximately 50,000 square meters..."
Upon hearing that the area was over 50,000 square meters, everyone was stunned.
Let's calculate the area first; it's at least 80 or 90 acres.
But size is secondary; the key is completeness: the kiln body, raw material processing, firing aids, raw materials and fuels, unearthed artifacts, and even the kiln waste layer (waste porcelain pits).
In other words, this is the first complete porcelain-making site discovered in Hejin... oh no, this is the first complete porcelain-making site discovered in Yuncheng.
I wouldn't say it's the last of its kind, but it's certainly unprecedented...
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