Casting Empire: Metal Production in the Early Imperial China
Part of: Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)
It is widely recognized in the literature that the production of metal objects, including ritual vessels, weapons, coins, and a wide range of daily use tools, played an essential role in the state financial system of ancient China. Nonetheless, many underlying but essential questions related to metal production still have not been fully explored, such as the management of techniques and labor, forms and organization of workers, ways to control the procurement and movement of raw materials, and transportation of final products or resources. This symposium provides a platform for scholars to introduce their latest research addressing issues mentioned above. We expect the communication fostered by the symposium can not only enhance the understanding about the contribution of metal production to the historical formation of Early Chinese Empires but also facilitate the identification of new methodology and theoretical frameworks for studying debitage or remains in archaeological contexts.
Other Keywords
Distribution •
Management •
Iron •
Technology •
Resources •
Imperialism of the Han Dynasty •
iron smelting site •
production organization •
Iron Offices •
Qin Emperor, casting weapons
Geographic Keywords
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Isl (Country) •
Territory of Guam (Country) •
Republic of Indonesia (Country) •
Republic of Tajikistan (Country) •
Kyrgyz Republic (Country) •
Japan (Country) •
Asia (Continent) •
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lan (Country) •
Kingdom of Thailand (Country) •
Kingdom of Cambodia (Country)
Resources Inside This Collection (Viewing 1-5 of 5)
- Documents (5)
-
Archaeology of Iron in the Lingnan Region and the Imperial Strategy of the Han Dynasty in its Southern Peripheries (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Although the imperial strategy of the Han Empire in its southern peripheries attracts significant scholarly interests, how to synthesize the issue of ethnic integration and imperial expansion within the study of material culture is still widely under-addressed. Especially, how the Han’s control over the movement and distribution of iron—a strategical resource for agricultural and military conquest—is almost overlooked in the literature. This presentation presents the latest statistical studies...
-
Casting metals for the Qin First Emperor and his underground empire (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Among the most spectacular finds at the Mausoleum of China’s First Emperor (259 - 210 BC) are the Terracotta Army built to protect him in the after life, and the two sets bronze chariots designed and buried to facilitate his travel in his underground empire. Thousands of terracotta warriors are equipped with casting bronze weapons, including swords, lances, halberds, spears, crossbows, and arrows, and the quantity and quality of bronze weaponry provide an extremely rare opportunity to...
-
How the Han Empire managed the large-scale iron production: a study report of iron smelting sites in Shandong province and Henan province (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This paper is mainly about a study report of several iron smelting sites in Shandong and Henan province. By analyzing archaeometallurgical remains from large-scale iron production sites, this presentation tries to clarify issues under-addressed in previous excavation reports and shed new light on the iron technology, production organization, and the management of Iron Offices of the Han Empire that led to the developmental peak of iron industry in Chinese history.
-
The Management of Techniques and Labor in Copper Production: Based on the New Materials in Tonglushan Sifangtang Cemetery (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Since November 2014, the Hubei Provincial Institute of Archaeology have found 123 tombs in Tonglushan Sifangtang Cemetery, Daye, Hubei province in China. It is the first time for Tonglushan ancient copper mine site and Chinese mining archaeology to find laborers' cemetery, which is highly related to mining site. Given its wide distributed area, well protected situation, and rich clues related to mining culture, this achievement provides significant data for understanding the management of...
-
Resources, technology, and distribution: a discussion on models of early bronze production in China (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This presentation tries to provide several models to capture major shifts of the bronze production system in the China's Bronze Age. The earliest evidence of bronze production was found in the Yellow River Valley dated to 2,500 BC. But during 2,500 – 1,900 BC, most products were small bronzes cast by two-part molds. Copper or arsenic bronze products made by hammering also existed but no evidence proves tin bronze technique was yet invented. Around 2,300 BC, political entities in the middle...