Was there any industrial scale of production in the ancient world? How do we gather relevant evidence? How can we better use modern digital technology to help us gather this evidence? This lecture explores these questions using examples of bronze mirrors and bells from ancient China, dating from 500 to 200 BCE.

Producers in North China around 500 BC experienced a technical revolution in bronze casting. They started using novel methods such as the “model-decorating” and “pattern block” methods to increase their production efficiency. These methods were applied to the production of bronze mirrors and sculptures. By around 300 BCE, casters across the entire East Asian continent began producing a massive number of bronze mirrors, which were distributed on an unprecedented scale. This centuries-long revolution in the bronze industry laid the foundation for the expansion of gigantic socio-economic powers in East Asia.

The work described in this lecture was partially supported by grants from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), People’s Republic of China (Project No. HKBU 12618422 and 22601019), and Quality Education Fund E-Learning Ancillary Facilities Programme (2021/0257).