����A cache of ancient iron plates once again saw the light of day after they had been smelted about 2,000 years ago.

����The plates were found in an amusement park being constructed on an ancient metallurgical site in Nanyang in central China's Henan Province.

����Being 0.5 centimeters thick and five to 20 centimeters in length, these plates were in the shapes of a square, rectangle and trapezia.

����It was the first time to uncover hoarded iron plates in the metallurgical site in the city.

����Archaeologists said the finding gives valuable hints to metallurgy in the Western Han Dynasty (BC206-24AD).

����Nanyang already had a developed iron-smelting industry during the Warring States Period (BC475-BC221). It developed into a national iron-smelting center in the Western Han Dynasty, and iron utensils made in Nanyang were used in 17 counties of the dynasty.

(People's Daily 12/07/2000)