Made in China - 3,700 years ago: scientists reveal 'hi-tech' celadon pottery production site

The earliest celadon - one of the most delicate types of Chinese pottery glazed with pure, green jasper - was produced at a "hi-tech" centre in Luoyang, Henan, about 3,700 years ago, according to a new study by mainland scientists.

The making of celadon wares required high temperatures, usually over 1,100 degrees Celsius, which was difficult to reach before the industrial revolution owing to technical challenges such as heat control and kiln design.

Professor Wang Changsui , an archaeometrist with the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and research leader, said the earliest celadon, uncovered in fragments from the Erlitou Bronze Age site near the Yellow River, was a "remarkable achievement" by the ancient civilisation.

"That means China had developed and mastered the high-temperature technology earlier than any other region in the world. It was not until the 17th century, or 3,000 years later, that similar kilns began to emerge in Europe," he said.

"The Erlitou site was the hi-tech centre of the world in its time, with cutting-edge technology in a wide range of manufacturing sectors from ceramics making to metal casting. The origin of 'made in China' was early and glorious."

For decades, it has widely been believed that celadon pieces had not been produced in China until the late Eastern Han Dynasty in about 200AD.