自漢代以來鹽一直是中國財政的主要收入來源，因此許多學者都主張鹽的生產與交易是中國古代文明興起的主要因素之一。本文藉由近年的考古研究、甲骨、簡帛、畫像磚、傳世文獻以及民族誌等資料，肯定鹽在中國古代文明中扮演重要的角色；但也認為從史前時代到漢代，鹽的社會意義經歷了由威望物品轉變成為一般商品的過程。唯有釐清每個階段人們如何去使用及看待鹽，才能進一步探討它對當時社會文化及國家形成的影響。

Salt has been a major financial resource in China since the Han Dynasty. For this reason, many scholars argue that the production and distribution of salt was one of the most important factors in the emergence of Chinese civilization. Following recent archaeological research, as well as research on oracle bones, bamboo slips, cloth manuscripts, terracotta bricks, ancient texts and thnography, this article demonstrates the importance of the role of salt in ancient Chinese civilization. However, it also argues that the social meaning of salt was transformed from that of a prestige good to a more general commodity between the prehistoric period and the Han Dynasty. Only after understanding how people used and regarded slat can we understand its influence on contemporary cultures and states.