传统技术、生态知识及环境适应:以明清时期淮南盐作为例

传统技术发展演变有复杂的社会经济与环境背景。通过讨论江苏淮南盐区制盐技术发展的过程及关键影响因素,可以揭示中国传统盐作技术演化机制的复杂性。明末清初各海盐区基本废煎改晒,但江苏淮南盐区仍继续沿用传统煎法生产,成为中国海盐经济发展史上的特殊现象。作为中国传统盐业生产的“特区”,淮南盐区在明末清初至20世纪中后叶也经过数次废煎改晒尝试,但淮南岸段的砂质土壤与低于500毫米的净蒸发量限制了大规模改晒的可能,重煎轻晒的产销政策又使淮南煎法在清代更为巩固,进一步影响了该区域传统制盐技术革新。淮南盐区传统制盐技术演变可为前工业化技术的比较研究提供经验基础,有助于更深刻了解本土技术发展机制及其环境适应特征。

Traditional Technology,Ecological Knowledge and Environmental Adaptation: A Case Study of the Huainan Salt Industry During Ming and Qing Dynasties

The evolution of traditional technology has complex socio-economic and environmental backgrounds. This paper aims to reveal the complexity of the evolution mechanism of sea salt production technology in ancient China, by discussing the development process of salt-making technology in Huainan saltworks and the influence of key restricting factors. In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, methodologically, traditional decocted salt production of the sea saltworks in China were replaced with solar-salt production, while the traditional decocted salt way was kept in the Huainan saltworks of Jiangsu Province until early 20th century. This was a special phenomenon in the economic history of China's sea salt industry. It was due to sandy soil and less than 500 mm net evaporation in the central and southern Jiangsu coast, which limited the development of large-scale solar-salt production in this region. The policy support on marketing management policy made the Huainan traditional decocted salt production more consolidated in Qing Dynasty, and further restricted technological innovation. This study provides an example for the comparative study of pre-industrial technological evolution, and reflects the mechanism of indigenous technology development and local adaptability.