With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Remnants of Salt Making Discovered

In the development of ancient societies, salt was an important building block. It was a crucial trading commodity, and by allowing food to be preserved it enabled empires to expand.

But salt itself is not preserved. Time and water wash it away, so solid archaeological evidence of salt production has rarely been discovered.

Now, researchers have found strong signs that salt was produced in central China in the first two millenniums B.C., during the dynastic period.
Read entire article at NYT