Bronzes and the Four Quarters: International Conference Explores Technological Innovation and Cultural Exchange in Early China

The University of Chicago Center in Beijing

20th floor, Culture Plaza
No. 59A Zhong Guan Cun Street
Haidian District Beijing 100872

The conference “Bronzes and the Four Quarters: Development, Transmission, and Dissemination of the Section-mold Bronze Casting Technology from Huanbei, Yinxu, to Early Western Zhou” was held on 5–6 June 2026. Organized by Professor Yongdi Li of the University of Chicago and Professor Jigen Tang of Southern University of Science and Technology, the event brought together scholars working in Bronze Age archaeology, archaeometallurgy, and early Chinese history. More than fifty participants attended in person, while over fifty additional scholars and students joined online. The strong participation from both onsite and virtual audiences contributed to a dynamic atmosphere of scholarly exchange throughout the two-day conference.

Presentations addressed a broad range of topics related to bronze production and technological transmission during the late Shang and early Western Zhou periods. Organized into six thematic sessions and two concluding roundtable discussions, the program featured papers on newly excavated bronze-casting workshops, ceramic mold production, manufacturing techniques, technological innovation, regional interaction, and the circulation of metallurgical knowledge. Drawing on archaeological evidence, archaeometric analyses, and comparative perspectives, speakers examined how technological developments were intertwined with wider processes of political integration, social organization, and cultural exchange.

Discussions throughout the two-day conference were both interdisciplinary and highly engaged, generating productive exchanges among researchers from different institutions and scholarly traditions. Participants emphasized the importance of integrating archaeological research with scientific approaches, while also highlighting the need for continued collaboration in investigating bronze production networks, technological innovation, and patterns of cultural interaction in early China. By bringing together specialists working from diverse methodological perspectives, the conference not only showcased new research findings but also provided an important platform for future international cooperation in the study of ancient metallurgy and Bronze Age societies.