从考古文化发现和历史文献记载来看,三峡地区是迄今为止中国最早生产食盐的地区,产盐的历史可追溯到距今约6000年前的新石器时代。在三峡地区古代盐业遗址中发现了大量的制盐工具,早期以圜底罐(釜)为主,商周时期除圜底罐以外又出现了大量的尖底缸和尖底杯。这一考古新发现引起了世界盐业考古专家的高度重视,从而证实了过去史学界研究认为的三峡地区人类早在新石器时代中晚期就开始有了生产食盐历史的推测。 Judging from archaeological and cultural discoveries and historical records, the Three Gorges area is by far the earliest salt-producing area in China. Salt production can be traced back to the Neolithic Age about 6,000 years ago. A large number of salt making tools were found in ancient salt sites in the Three Gorges area. In the early period, most of the salt making tools were used. In the Shang and Zhou dynasties, a large number of sharp-bottomed baskets and pointy-bottom cups appeared in addition to the bottom cans. This archaeological discovery has aroused great attention of the world’s salt archeology experts, confirming the historical historians believe that the Three Gorges region as early as the Neolithic man began to speculate on the production of salt history.