The ancients used two methods to make salt:
For sea salt in coastal areas, there are salt fields in the Linhuan area. The seawater is put in and enclosed, and the water is evaporated by the sun. Take the salt after it naturally precipitates.
Inland, there are mainly salt wells. The brine with high salt content is taken out from the well, and the water is evaporated by cooking to obtain the salt.
Salt production in ancient times
Introduction: People in ancient times did not regard natural salt as salt, but called it brine.
The earliest salt collected artificially in ancient times was probably sea salt.
According to ancient books, the Susha family during the reign of Emperor Yan (some say Shennong) pioneered the use of seawater to boil salt, which was known as "Susha for boiling salt" in history.
Susha is just a legendary figure. In fact, boiling salt with seawater should have been created by the ancient ancestors living by the sea after long-term exploration and practice.
Perhaps Susha promoted the method of boiling salt, and later generations attributed the invention of sea salt to him.
Pool salt: Lake salt is also called pool salt. Inland salt lakes can naturally produce crystallized salt due to the dry climate.
The historically ancient Hedong Salt Pond uses the evaporation of wind and sun to naturally produce table salt, which is known historically as "Jieyan", "Lu salt" or "Hedong salt".
Hedong Salt Pond has appeared in historical records very early, and the history of salt mining in the salt pond may not be later than that of Haiyan.
Now Qarhan Salt Lake and Chaka Salt Lake in Qinghai Province are rich in this kind of pool salt.
Chi salt has the characteristics of natural crystallization. "Luodu Fu" written by Wang Jin of Jin Dynasty says, "The salt pond in Hedong is clean and fresh, and it can be fertilized without labor. It becomes natural." This means that the salt in the pond is not crystallized. It needs to be cooked over fire and can be obtained naturally.
Hedong Salt Pond is located in the Yellow River Basin. It can be seen that the ancient ancestors living in the Yellow River Basin should have been exposed to this natural pond salt very early.
It is now difficult to determine which of the discovery and consumption of pool salt and sea salt came first, because sea salt can also be naturally crystallized due to evaporation from seawater stagnant in shoals, exposed to wind and sun, and evaporated.
The ancient ancestors living by the sea also discovered and consumed this natural sea salt produced by natural crystallization very early.
Naturally produced pool salt and sea salt, as well as rock salt exposed on the surface, salt springs naturally overflowing and leaking, and soil salt available everywhere, as long as there are human activities in the area where these natural salts are generated, The ancestors would discover it sooner or later.
However, due to the long history, it is difficult to determine the sequence of the discovery of Chiyan and Haiyan.
Well salt: Well salt may have appeared a little later. According to literature, it first appeared in the Bashu region during the Warring States Period.
"Huayang Guozhi" said that Li Bing, who knew astronomy, geography and water veins, invented the salt well drilling technology.
While controlling the water, Li Bing investigated the distribution of underground salt brine and dug a salt well.
A batch of salt well portrait bricks have been unearthed in Chengdu and other places, vividly reproducing ancient well salt production.