Introduction: Salt is our most common and most indispensable seasoning, the ancestor of all tastes. However, little is known about its history. When did salt first date back? How did the ancients discover or invent the use of salt?
Salt is the lord of all tastes, but its history is little known
These questions have been plaguing experts in the archaeological community. It wasn't until September 2015 that archaeologists discovered a large-scale ancient ruins in Fanjiadun, Daxie Development Zone, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.
This place is surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the sea on the other. For the ancients who were not developed in science and technology and inconvenient transportation, this place was basically an island. Whether they crossed the mountains, rivers and seas, or crossed the sea of people, in short, they must have gone through a lot of hardships to come here.
So, let the archaeologists wonder, what did the ancients have to do here? Is it to avoid disaster or to find treasure, or is there something else? Who are the people who have come here?
The ruins of Daxie are an isolated island, why did the ancients come here
After careful investigation by archaeologists, it was found that this place is likely to be a site of ancient salt production. If you can really be sure of this, this will be a sensational discovery in the archaeological community. Because we have always known less about the history of human consumption of salt, although some salt-making sites have been found in recent years, but the period is relatively backward. For example, the ruins of the Nine Mu Hill in the Song Dynasty.
In other words, the earliest history of salt exists only in writing, and no relevant corroboration has been found in the archaeological community. The Daxie site dates back more than 4,000 years, and if it can really be determined that this is a salt-making site, it means that the history of Salt Production in China will be pushed forward for more than 3,000 years, which is of great significance.
Is that a salt-making site? The archaeologists continued their investigation, and soon, many strange oval pottery artifacts were unearthed at the site of Daxie. Looking at the historical data, the team members were surprised to find that in fact, not only the nine acres of hills, but even some salt industry sites abroad have also unearthed the same thing.
So, is this certain that the Ruins of Daxie is a salt-making site? The archaeologists still did not dare to make an easy judgment. Because they think there's a key thing missing right now, what? salt.
We know that the main component of salt is sodium chloride, which is a substance that is extremely soluble in water. Therefore, it is difficult to see the figure of salt in previous archaeological excavations, which has become one of the biggest difficulties in determining the remains of the salt industry. So, after more than 4,000 years, is it possible that the team members will find traces of salt in Daxie?
Ancient salt-making sites have been discovered in the Daxie Development Zone of Ningbo City
Salt, the archaeologists did not find, but found calcium carbonate, which is inseparable from the production of salt. Then, the discovery of calcium carbonate in pottery indicates that this pottery is likely to be related to boiling seawater or boiling brine. Through oxygen isotope analysis, it can be inferred that the formation temperature of calcium carbonate is about forty degrees, and this temperature is exactly in line with the summer weather on the southeast coast where Daxie is located.
Simply put, these calcium carbonates were formed in a natural drying process in the salt production of the ancients. Although no physical salt was found. But through them, we can extrapolate that salt was once real.
At this point, it is already safe to say that the Ruins of Daxie are indeed a prehistoric salt-making site that is 4,400 years old and 4,100 years old. The ruins were characterized, and the archaeologists quickly completed all the work of cleaning up the site, excavating and identifying the excavated cultural relics.
According to statistics, a total of 27 salt stoves, 18 salt waste piles, two artificial constructions, and a salt production site of more than 4,000 square meters were found this time. More importantly, through the analysis of these ruins, experts have learned a living history of prehistoric ancestors who crossed the mountains and seas to boil salt for salt, and successfully restored the ancient method of salt making that we did not know.
Archaeologists excavate the ruins of Daxie
So, how did the immortals of more than 4,000 years ago produce salt? The first step is to wait, hey, didn't expect it. In the summer heat, after the low tide of the sea, the long sun shines, so that a layer of snow white salt flowers appear on the beach, this time the ancient people shine on the scene.
In the second step, the ancients scraped away the salt flowers and sea mud together, and after drying, mashing and other processes, the calcium carbonate was precipitated. It is the gray-white material that archaeologists have found before, and there are other impurities. At this time, the powdery salt paste was born.
As the saying goes, "If a worker wants to do a good job, he must first use it." The raw materials for making salt are ready, and the next step is, of course, the equipment for making boiling salt. Locally sourced materials, people used the loess soil of the island to make large clay pots and pans as pots and pans for boiling salt. This was followed by the introduction of some dense oval smoke stoves, and the pots and pans were placed on the top in pairs. The next step is the most critical step in salt making, preparing brine.
To put it simply, it is to first put two pits, one large and one small, one high and one low, connected with a pipe in the middle, put the salt mud into the large pit, and then pour seawater into the sediment for 12 to 24 hours, and the high concentration of brine will flow into the small pit.
The Daxie site has found that the ancients used seawater to make salt
Then, just pour these brine into the clay pot and use the principle of fire to slowly evaporate the water. The brine solidifies gradually, and this process must be stirred continuously to avoid complete agglomeration. After a period of time, the crystals gradually disperse, and the sea salt is boiled to success, which is the ancient method of salt making developed by the ancients.
Speaking of which, we have to lament the wisdom of the ancients. At the same time, we must also thank the ancestors of more than 4,000 years ago, or at least more than 4,000 years ago, who have overcome difficulties and obstacles to find this magical land and work hard. Nowadays, in our cuisine, there will be more legendary spices called "salt", which is the ancestor of all tastes.