The Archaeological Research Of Fanchang Porcelain Industry

Fanchang Kiln began to use the "binary formula" to burn greenish white porcelain during the Five Dynasties period.This breakthrough and innovation in ceramic technology greatly enhanced the research value of Fanchang Kiln in the history of ceramics.Since it was discovered in 1958,there have been many studies on the art characteristics of Fanchang Kiln's blue and white porcelain type,fetal glaze characterization,and the periodization of utensils in stages,followed by a large proportion of comparative research articles on the demonstration of the firing process of Fanchang Kiln,the technology of tire glaze composition,and comparison with other kilns,such as Jingdezhen celadon and Qingshan Kilns in Hubei;there is also discussion on the nature of Fanchang ware and the circulation of celadon products.The circulation of blue and white porcelain is mostly mentioned in research articles,and there are few archaeological observations that target the kiln site and the economy of the kiln industry.However,since porcelain is daily necessities in people's lives,and the ceramic handicraft industry is an important pillar for serving society in cooperation with business,it is important to investigate the kiln industry from an economic perspective.Although it was one of the major kilns in the 10th-12 th century,there are very few records of Fanchang Kiln in the historical documents.The current research relies primarily on archaeological investigations,materials excavated,and the socioeconomic information recorded in the literature.As such,discussion and analysis of the kiln site of Fanchang Kiln and the unearthed utensils,the background of the development of the kiln industry from the Southern Tang Dynasty to the Northern Song Dynasty,the production organization form and management system,as well as the circulation conditions and routes both domestic and abroad,from the perspective of archaeology,will be conducive to the restoration of the economic ecology of Fanchang kiln industry.The research content of this article is mainly divided into the following five partsThe first part is Introduction.It reviews the literatures on Fanchang Kiln study,introduces research methods,purposes,significance and innovation,and summarizes the difficulties and the deficiencies encountered in the research.The second part is a historical overview of Fanchang Kiln,including the kiln's geographical location,age range,technology origin,and product categories and stages.Fanchang Kiln Site Community is the aggregate of Kechong Kiln,Luochong Kiln,Banbianjie Kiln and Yaochong Kiln in Fanchang County,Anhui Province.Fanchang Kiln originated no later than the Five Dynasties,and continued into the middle to late Northern Song Dynasty.The creation of the blue and white porcelain was based on the inheritance of the accumulated celadon firing technology in southern Anhui,and absorbed the innovations of the white porcelain firing technology from such as the northern kilns.There were various types of utensils,mostly are household utensils.According to their characteristics,these utensils can be categorized into two time periods: Five Dynasties,and Northern Song Dynasty.The third part deeply digs into the background of economic development of Fanchang Kiln porcelain industry.This part mainly discusses the socio-economic development and cultural exchanges including porcelain technology,which were brought about by population,taxation policies and trade policies.These aspects had laid the background reason for the flourishing development of Fanchang Kiln.From the Five Dynasties to the Northern Song Dynasty,large scale population migration gradually shifted the economic center to the south,which brought many favorable opportunities for the development of the porcelain industry.For example,population migration brought technical craftsmen to Fanchang Kiln.The northerners moving south not only expanded consumer groups and consumer demand in the south market,but also changed its social tastes to white aesthetics,which played an important role in the rapid occupation of blue and white porcelain in the market.During this period,the government's inclination,openness,and supportive policies for industrial and commercial development and reasonable taxation measures provided an institutional guarantee for the economic development of the Fanchang kiln porcelain industry.The fourth part mainly focuses on the production of ceramics in Fanchang Kiln,including raw materials,production scale and yield,the organizational form of the production process,and the management system.The raw materials for production included porcelain clay,fuel and water resources.Fanchang kilns were found rich in raw porcelain materials.According to the scientific and technological archaeological data,these materials could be obtained locally and fired nearby.The fuel required for firing was abundant.Fanchang Kiln was located in the subtropical monsoon climate zone,with rich forest resources and abundant water resources.The E'xi River provided sufficient water for kiln production activities and employees' living needs,as well as convenient and cheap transportation for the export and sales of celadon products.Production organization forms included plant scale,product yield,production methods,management system,and technical specialization of the labor.The scale of the kiln plant was smaller in the initial blue and white porcelain firing period,that is,the Five Dynasties.However,by the Northern Song Dynasty,the scale of the kiln plant had expanded several times.The technical specialization of labor within the kiln became more matured,and the government's management for the craftsmen was constantly evolving.The fifth part is mainly to study the circulation scope and route of Fanchang Kiln's blue and white porcelain with the help of unearthed porcelain from the ruins and tombs.The production and sales of Fanchang Kiln blue and white porcelain was Fanchang centered,and extended outward along the southern Anhui river network to a much larger market from the north to the south along the Yangtze River and Canal channels.Fanchang Kiln's blue and white porcelain was also seen along the Maritime Silk Road,but the data was scarce and further exploration was difficult.The circulation of porcelain products provided higher social benefits,raised taxes in the prosperous area,and enriched the choice of people's household appliances.It also helped promote the exchange of ceramic culture between domestic regions and foreign countries.The conclusion part summarizes the main content and views of the dissertation.