Casting Empire: Metal Production in the Early Imperial China

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.