���ٲ�ұ�ͼӹ���ˇ ������ɫ

  China had a splendid bronze civilization
and iron and steel civilization in history, the
nuclear techniques with originality of which
included :copper ore mining and copper sul-
phide ore smelting, multiple pottery mold
casting and lost-wax method, pig iron smelt-
ing and casting and related skills based on
which, such as cast iron mould casting, cast
iron toughening, steel making and steel
pouring, etc. Besides, ancient China also cre-
ated brilliant achievements in zinc smelting
and preparation of paktong and copper. Most
of these techniques, except very few that has
become something of the past, are still popu-
lar among the people today. For instance, pig
iron smelting and casting in Yangcheng,
Shanxi Province, gold smelting in Zhaoyuan,
Shandong Province: zinc smelting in
Hezhang, Guizhou Province, loam mold cast-
ing in Hebei and Jiangsu Provinces: lost-wax
method at Deqin. Yunnan Province: scissors
forging in beijing and Hangzhou. Buddha
image making in the Zang (Tibetan)
nationality; silver decoration making in the
Miao nationality, and gold foil forging m
Nanjing, etc. This book. illustrated with large
amount of photographs of objects and on-the-
spot operation, gives a brief account of the
above mentioned historical and extant metal-
lic techniques, and enables the readers to un-
derstand the rich and varied, outstanding and
unique metallic civilization of China, the sci-
entific and technological gene it bears, the cul-
tural connotation it contains and the great in-
fiuence it exerts upon the development of
culture. In a sense, the understanding of the
Chinese civilization, if lacking essential
knowledge of the metallic civilization of
China. will be incomplete. As a compo.nent
part of the history of world civilization, the
metallic civilization of China is a vivid ex-
ample of the diversification of culture, and it
is our common duty to protect it and carry it
forward.