A cast-iron bridge pier dated 96 BCE found in Sichuan, China

摘要

A cast-iron bridge pier weighing 1.38 tons and dated 96 BCE was discovered in 2007 near Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Nearby were found fragments of the mould in which it was cast. The article describes the metallography of the artefact and reconstructs the process by which it was cast.