Abstract: Long-term coal mining activities can lead to substantial heavy metal accumulation in surrounding soils. While previous studies have primarily focused on evaluating heavy metal contamination around abandoned coal mines, systematic investigations of pollution source apportionment, particularly source contribution quantification, remain limited. To characterize heavy metal contamination and identify its sources, an abandoned coal mining area in Jiangxi Province, China, was selected as a case study. A total of 107 soil samples and 5 coal gangue samples were collected and analyzed for eight heavy metals, including Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cu, Ni, Co, and Cr. The ground accumulation index method and potential ecological risk index method were employed to evaluate heavy metal pollution. Correlation analysis, absolute principal component multiple linear regression model, and positive definite matrix factorization model were further applied to analyze the sources and contribution rates of heavy metal pollution in the soil around abandoned coal mines. The results showed that Cr was not detected in either soil or coal gangue samples, whereas the mean concentrations of the remaining seven heavy metals all exceeded the regional soil background values for Jiangxi Province. The evaluation results of the land accumulation index indicate that the mean Cd is at a moderate pollution level, the mean Ni is at a slightly moderate pollution level, the mean Hg and Cu are at a mild pollution level, and the mean As, Pb, and Co remain within the uncontaminated category. The average comprehensive potential ecological risk index of the research area is 441.11, indicating a strong potential ecological risk overall. There are six sources of heavy metals in the soil of the research area, namely industrial activity sources, coal mining sources, natural geological sources, transportation activity sources, artificial aquaculture sources, and fossil fuel combustion sources, of which coal mining is the main source of pollution. This study can provide a theoretical basis for dealing with heavy metal pollution in the soil around abandoned coal mines, and is of great significance for ecological restoration in abandoned coal mine areas.