Export of iron from SE Asia

empu kumis · 10th February 2005, 10:44 PM

This could be interesting.

Bulbeck, D. and Caldwell, I. 2000. The land of iron: The historical archaeology of Luwu and the Cenrana Valley. Results of the Origin of Complex Society in South Sulawesi Project (OXIS). Hull: University of Hull Centre for South-East Asian Studies and Canberra: Australian National University School of Archaeology Anthropology.

Jens Nordlunde · 11th February 2005, 09:07 AM

Rahman, what you write seems to be export within the area, maybe they did not have so much iron.
I saw some where that they imported nickel from Solingen, and that this nickel should have given good results, as it was cleaner than what they could get from other places. Unfortunately I have forgotten where I saw it.

Empu kumis, have you read the book? It yes, can you tell us more about it?

Jens

Mark · 3rd March 2005, 11:11 PM

I have found some hard information on this question in Bronson, "Patterns in the Early Southeast Asian Metals Trade," in Early Metallurgy, Trade and Urban Centres in Thailand and Southeast Asia, White Lotus, Bangkok, 1992.

Bronson has a lot to say on this subject, but to summarize, SEA generally was a very minor player in the iron business, or was virtually out of the game entirely. Island SEA was (and is) very poor in iron deposits, and never exploited in any significant way the deposits it had. Thus, all of its iron was imported from India and China (and maybe a little bit in certain periods from Thailand).

As far as continental SEA goes, Burma had the largest deposits and at times was a net exporter to nearby countries, as were Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Burma's iron production, when it was active, was mostly supplying just its own needs. However, none of these countries never fully or consistently exploited their iron resources.

The reason that iron production was so limited in SEA was that China was a massive producer and exporter of inexpensive iron, and so there was no economic advantage to local production. Plus, China's spelting technology was more efficient and advanced than that of SEA. To the extent there was iron production in continental SEA is was essentially a very intermittant, small-scale afair for local consumption. With the establishment of European trade, Europe also became an important source for iron and steel.

Copper and tin were the big metal industries in SEA, and silver to a lesser extent.

Mark · 3rd March 2005, 11:12 PM

I forgot -- Japan also was a significant exporter of iron to SEA.

Andrew · 4th March 2005, 03:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Bowditch

I forgot -- Japan also was a significant exporter of iron to SEA.

I'm suprised learn this, Mark. I assumed that, given the poor quality of Japanese iron "sand", and the laborious tecniques employed to make homogenous steel, that exporting iron wouldn't be a big industry. Did they export refined iron, or just ore?

Mark · 4th March 2005, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew

I'm suprised learn this, Mark. I assumed that, given the poor quality of Japanese iron "sand", and the laborious tecniques employed to make homogenous steel, that exporting iron wouldn't be a big industry. Did they export refined iron, or just ore?

It does seem unusual, but the records are there. Bronson's conclusion is that the Japanese were simply very efficient in their smelting methods and were able to produce quantities of iron (and steel) more cheaply than local SEA producers. China was very much the dominant producer, but Japan was a net exporter, so they were at least producing a surplus.

Jens Nordlunde · 4th March 2005, 02:40 PM

Hi Mark,

Thank you for the information, it is interesting to notice, that not only did the Indians export iron, most likely wootz ingots, to countries to the west, as far as Africa, but they also had an export to the east, which is not common knowledge.
Another export route was far more north, in Turkmenistan. In a desert town, in an oasis on the Silk Road, called Merv/Marv, ingots were produced, and sold to the passing merchants. They had neither any iron ore nor any wood, so both had to be ‘imported’, the wood/charcoal from Afghanistan and the ore from further north sailed down, close to Merv on the rivers. You can read more in an article Ann Feuerbach has written in Minerva number 13. issue 4, 2002.

Jens

10th February 2005, 10:44 PM	#1
empu kumis Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Germany Posts: 17	This could be interesting. Bulbeck, D. and Caldwell, I. 2000. The land of iron: The historical archaeology of Luwu and the Cenrana Valley. Results of the Origin of Complex Society in South Sulawesi Project (OXIS). Hull: University of Hull Centre for South-East Asian Studies and Canberra: Australian National University School of Archaeology Anthropology.

11th February 2005, 09:07 AM	#2
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Rahman, what you write seems to be export within the area, maybe they did not have so much iron. I saw some where that they imported nickel from Solingen, and that this nickel should have given good results, as it was cleaner than what they could get from other places. Unfortunately I have forgotten where I saw it. Empu kumis, have you read the book? It yes, can you tell us more about it? Jens

3rd March 2005, 11:11 PM	#3
Mark Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 987	I have found some hard information on this question in Bronson, "Patterns in the Early Southeast Asian Metals Trade," in Early Metallurgy, Trade and Urban Centres in Thailand and Southeast Asia, White Lotus, Bangkok, 1992. Bronson has a lot to say on this subject, but to summarize, SEA generally was a very minor player in the iron business, or was virtually out of the game entirely. Island SEA was (and is) very poor in iron deposits, and never exploited in any significant way the deposits it had. Thus, all of its iron was imported from India and China (and maybe a little bit in certain periods from Thailand). As far as continental SEA goes, Burma had the largest deposits and at times was a net exporter to nearby countries, as were Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Burma's iron production, when it was active, was mostly supplying just its own needs. However, none of these countries never fully or consistently exploited their iron resources. The reason that iron production was so limited in SEA was that China was a massive producer and exporter of inexpensive iron, and so there was no economic advantage to local production. Plus, China's spelting technology was more efficient and advanced than that of SEA. To the extent there was iron production in continental SEA is was essentially a very intermittant, small-scale afair for local consumption. With the establishment of European trade, Europe also became an important source for iron and steel. Copper and tin were the big metal industries in SEA, and silver to a lesser extent.

3rd March 2005, 11:12 PM	#4
Mark Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 987	I forgot -- Japan also was a significant exporter of iron to SEA.

4th March 2005, 02:40 PM	#7
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Hi Mark, Thank you for the information, it is interesting to notice, that not only did the Indians export iron, most likely wootz ingots, to countries to the west, as far as Africa, but they also had an export to the east, which is not common knowledge. Another export route was far more north, in Turkmenistan. In a desert town, in an oasis on the Silk Road, called Merv/Marv, ingots were produced, and sold to the passing merchants. They had neither any iron ore nor any wood, so both had to be ‘imported’, the wood/charcoal from Afghanistan and the ore from further north sailed down, close to Merv on the rivers. You can read more in an article Ann Feuerbach has written in Minerva number 13. issue 4, 2002. Jens