【Haichuan Chemical Industry Site】An early Han Dynasty salt-making handicraft site in Helin County, Inner Mongolia

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In support of the construction of the new airport in Hohhot, the Inner Mongolia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, with the assistance of the School of History and Tourism Culture at Inner Mongolia University, carried out archaeological excavations at the Xibei Tan site, located 1.3 kilometers northwest of Jizuiyingzi Natural Village in Qiaoshiying Township, Helingeer County. A total of 1 pit and well relic, as well as 4 salt-making stove relics, were uncovered. One stone tool was unearthed, along with a considerable number of fragments of sand-laced round-bottomed pots, as well as grayish-white waste residues containing components such as calcium and gypsum, which were produced during the salt boiling process. 　　The plan view of the well remains is a relatively regular circle; its walls have been simply processed. The diameter is about 3 meters, and the excavation depth is 1.6 meters, with the actual depth exceeding 3.5 meters. In the excavated part of the well, there are as many as 11 layers of deposits. Each layer is pure, soft, and fine in texture, with a thickness of 8–20 centimeters; these deposits were formed as a result of the precipitation of brine during the salt-making process ； The remains of the salt-making stoves are all simple ground-based stoves; currently, they consist of clusters of remnants of fired earth used for braising, as well as fragments of pottery pots with round bottoms containing sand. Beneath these accumulations lies a relatively hard layer of fired earth. Based on the analysis of the remains of the No. 3 salt-making stove, each such stove included seven or more round-bottomed pots placed together, with the pots being set directly on the ground and separated from one another by soil clods, thus forming a simple salt-making stove. 　　Sand-laced round-bottomed pots used in salt production are the most numerous artifacts found at this site; however, no complete pots have been unearthed – only fragments. Red pottery makes up the larger proportion, while gray pottery is less common. These fragments have similar shapes, with a diameter of 30 to 35 centimeters and a height of around 35 centimeters. Their manufacturing characteristics include thick walls; the rim and upper part of the pot are made of clay or contain fine sand, while the outer surface features fine rope-like patterns impressed thereon. The proportion of sand in the lower part and the round bottom increases significantly, or coarse sand is used in those areas, with coarser rope-like patterns on the outer surface. The inner walls of the pots are smoothly polished. The difference in sand content between the rim of the round-bottomed pots and their lower parts is clearly intentional, likely due to considerations related to heat resistance and durability. Additionally, some of the fragmentary parts of the pots show slight signs of smoking, indicating that they were used for a short period of time.

Based on a comprehensive analysis and comparison of the proportion of unearthed sand-laden round-bottomed pots, their morphological characteristics, manufacturing features, the depositional patterns in the pit sites, the local natural conditions, as well as the findings from salt-making sites in Shandong and the southwestern regions, it can be determined that the Beixi Tan site was likely a salt-making industrial site from the late Warring States period or the early Han dynasty, with its salt-making technique belonging to the early method of boiling brine to produce salt. 　　Salt archaeology has been carried out for many years along the coast of Shandong, in the southwestern region, and in the Yuncheng area, with significant progress having been made. These three regions represent the production of sea salt, well salt, and pond salt, respectively. The Xibei Tan site is the first salt-making site discovered in central and southern Inner Mongolia, representing a new type of archaeological site. The excavation of this site not only serves as an important addition to the archaeology of salt production in China, but also helps to understand the salt production situation in central and southern Inner Mongolia during the Warring States and Han dynasties, as one of the main regions for producing pond salt.