From: yidao@cae.wisc.edu (Yidao Cai)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.china,sci.archaeology
Subject: Re: Ancient Chinese Deep-Drilling Technology ???
Date: 1 Jan 93 16:37:37 GMT
Organization: U of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering

In article <72722@cup.portal.com> mmm@cup.portal.com (Mark Robert Thorson) writes:

I think you have your reason to be doubtful, but there was indeed a case
modern people (esp. Westerner) think unbelievable but it was real.  That
was the copper mining in China some 3000 years ago.  The technology was
"invented" by the West about 200 years ago.  The good thing is that in this
case the mine was well preserved.  It is now turned to be a museum.  You may
want to visit it sometime: Huangshi, Hubei, China.

>I recently acquired a copy of _A_Petroleum_Handbook_, 2nd ed.
>(Asiatic Petroleum Company, 1938), and on page 44 it has an
>amazing account of early Chinese well-drilling technology which
>I find almost unbelievable.
>
>It is alleged that as early as 221 B.C. the ancient Chinese were
>using percussion drilling to dig wells as deep as 3,500 feet, a depth
>only equalled in U.S. oilfield practice in the late 19th century, also
>using percussion drilling.  (Percussion drilling consists of using a
>heavy drill suspended down the hole on a rope or cable, and raising
>and dropping the drill.  The flutes of the drill cause it to turn on
>impact.)
>
>An accompanying drawing is alleged to show Chinese drilling tools
>and a well-head operation.  The text says "Ancient illustrations of
>the tools then used show that they bore a striking resemblance
>to those used in modern cable tool drilling, especially those used for
>retrieving articles left in the hole."
>
>The drawing looks fake to me.  At best, I would say it is a
>reproduction from a 19th-century engraving (no reference is given).
>The tools look identical to mid- to late- 19th century technology.
>The well-head operation looks like something out of _Gilligan's_
>_Island_, i.e. it looks like somebody took a 19th century drill rig
>and redrew it in bamboo with an ox used for power.  If this were
>a fake made in the 19th century, this is what I would expect a fake
>to look like -- it would be contemporary technology recast as ancient.
>
>I'm not saying the Chinese didn't have a remarkable ancient culure,
>or that they didn't drill wells.  I'm just saying I'm skeptical that
>they had a technology which could reach the 3,500 foot level.  They
>probably built wells the way every other ancient culture did, by
>sinking a vertical shaft using picks and shovels, essentially the same
>thing as digging a mine shaft.
>
>If there are 3,500 foot deep wells that are over 2,000 years old in
>China, I'd like to hear more about them.  I don't remember seeing
>any articles about them in _Scientific_American_ or _National_
>_Geographic_.  Is some one aware of an easily accessible book or
>magazine article which has covered this subject in depth :-) ?
>
>Where are these wells located?  Was the technology all in one place,
>or were holes drilled all over China?  How many ancient deep holes
>exist?  During what period of time was this technology used?
>
>It seems to me that if this story is authentic, these are some of the
>most valuable ancient sites of the world.  Furthermore, it should
>be possible to excavate one, using modern drilling techniques.  If the
>diameter of the hole is small enough, you could core the whole hole.
>This would allow you to verify its actual depth, study the drilling
>technique used along its entire length (as it passed through various
>layers), and recover any artifacts at the bottom of the hole.  I'd
>guess that at least 10% of holes would have artifacts at the bottom
>(boring bits, buckets, grappling hooks, rope, etc.).  Another possibility
>would be to drill two parallel holes, one on each side, and use the
>sort of X-ray equipment used to examine pipeline welds to illuminate
>the ancient hole from one side, while detection equipment records
>an image from the other.
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