Present Situation of China Silver Resources and Prospect of Finding Deposits
China is among one of the earliest countries in the world exploiting silver mines and had an illustrious history of silver exploitation. According to the silver ornaments such as earrings and nose rings unearthed in Huoshaogou Ruins in Yumen, Gansu, Chinese people began to know and exploit silver deposits, abstract silver and manufacture silver ornaments as early as in the Late Neolithic Age. In the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC), 10 silver mines were found in China. And burial objects such as silver chaplets, silverwares, silver needles were found in the graves of the Warring-state period (475- 222BC) to Han Dynasty. This indicates clearly that in the Warring-state period to Han Dynasty, Chinese people could not only exploit silver deposit, smelt silver ore, but also process silverware with high skill. According to recordation, when it came to Tang Dynasty, there were 35 silver mines nationwide, and silver deposit exploitation was common among the people. During the years of Yuanhe (806~820AD) in Tang Dynasty, annual income of silver was more than 100,000 taels. Song Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty were the period of continuous development of silver industry in China. In the years of Yuanfeng (1078-1085), silvers mines scattered in 68 states. And in the first year of Yuanfeng, total annual income of silver was more than 210,000 taels. Silver was the main currency in Yuan Dynasty. In the 31st year of Zhiyuan (1294A.D), the “Muchao (reserve in term of silver) in the paper currency stores except for the capital was about one million taels of silver. But in the Ming and Qing Dynasties as well as the Period of Republic of China, silver industry ever stopped developing, and annual production of silver was in the range of two to six tons.
Meng Xianlai
China Geological Survey
国际会议
第五届中国国际白银年会(5th China International Silver Conference Proceeding)
广东番禺
英文
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2006-09-28（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）