Iron production at the Zhuoerkut site in southern Xinjiang during the Han dynasty

This study investigates iron use and production at the Zhuoerkut site, an important frontier city associated with the Western Regions Protectorate of the Han dynasty in southern Xinjiang. Metallographic and compositional analyses were conducted on iron artifacts and slags excavated from the site. Most of the analyzed iron artifacts display characteristics of white cast iron, while one sample shows the feature of incompletely annealed malleable cast iron. Chemical analysis of this sample reveals unusually high phosphorus and sulphur contents, which may indicate the use of mineral fuel during smelting, a practice documented in Xinjiang but uncommon in inland Han China. The slag assemblage suggests the presence of multiple metallurgical activities. Some slags are consistent with smithing residues, while others are broadly compatible with bloomery smelting. Overall, the evidence indicates a technologically diverse iron assemblage shaped by regional supply networks, local production practices and frontier environmental conditions.