A team of archaeologists from China and the U.K has made an intriguing discovery at the Jirentaigoukou dig site in northwest China. Their research, published in the journal Science Advances, reveals evidence of systematic coal use by Bronze Age communities approximately 3,700 years ago.
Previous studies have indicated the use of coal as a fuel source dating back thousands of years, but systematic use was believed to have started around 2,500 years ago. However, the recent findings at Jirentaigoukou push back the timeline to approximately 3,700 years ago, demonstrating an earlier adoption of systematic coal usage.
The excavation project at Jirentaigoukou has revealed evidence of two distinct civilizations inhabiting the site nearly 1,000 years apart. The focus of this study was the layer that captured the habitation between 3,000 to 3,700 years ago, during the Bronze Age.
Archaeologists have uncovered coal remnants from ancient fireplaces, storage pits, homes, smelting furnaces, and tool caches. This wide range of sites suggests that coal was used in various ways, such as cooking, heating, metal smelting, and tool and weapon production. The abundance of coal and its proximity to the surface in the area, coupled with the scarcity of wood, likely prompted its utilization as a fuel source. The researchers propose that the adoption of coal was a natural progression, considering its availability and the known spontaneous combustion of coal when exposed to sunlight.
The research team also highlights additional advancements made during the upper level of the excavation, including the cultivation of crops, domestication of animals, and the development of bronze processing techniques.
More information:
Menghan Qiu et al, Earliest systematic coal exploitation for fuel extended to ~3600 B.P., Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh0549
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Systematic use of coal as a fuel source found at Bronze Age dig site (2023, August 1)
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