Chen Jianli, a professor from Peking University, delivered the fourth academic report titledAnalysis of Foreign Factors for Steel-making Technology in Ancient China, one of a series web-based lectures on theEarly Eastern and Western Cultural Exchanges from a Multidimensional Perspectiveat Tencent Meeting (ID 399 417 431) at 10:00-11:30 on the morning of July 5. This lecture is the 84th in a series of lectures on the brand forumFrontier Archaeology and Chinese Forum of Cultural Identityof the Research Center for Chinese Frontier Archaeology (RCCFA), Jilin University.

China's metallurgical technology in both ancient and modern times was driven by the combined effect of "external factors" and "local production". In ancient China, the localization of bronze smelting and casting technology in the Central Plains and the formation of ritual civilization based on bronze ware were the key foundations for the invention of ancient Chinese pig iron technology. The formation of the bronze ritual in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties and the spread of steel-making technology to the surrounding areas during the Warring States and Qin and Han Dynasties significantly helped promote the development of civilization in East Asia. This report compared the early ironware in different regions of Eurasia to analyze the foreign factors in the steel-making technology in the pre-Qin and Han Dynasties, briefly discussed the regional exchange of steel-making technology and enhanced our knowledge about the history of steel-making technology in ancient China.

Hosted by: Prof. Cai Dawei, Deputy Director of the RCCFA.