This talk is part of course CHIN 50 - Chinese Civilization. Open to public.
Thursday, October 15, 2026
11:00 AM - 12:15 PM
Franz Hall Room 1178
In China, the final five centuries BCE were a time of profound political, social, economic, and cultural transformations that would come to define classical Chinese civilization. This talk explores core aspects of these changes through the lens of coinage, which first emerged in China by the sixth century BCE. How did the Warring States utilize competing currencies and monetary zones in their quest to build centralized governments and unify China? What does the circulation of coinage across the frontiers of the Qin and Han empires reveal about imperial expansion and integration? These investigations will show how coinage served as a potent political instrument that shaped the development of statecraft, trade, and empire in ancient China.
Chris Kim is a postdoctoral associate and lecturer at the Council on East Asian Studies at Yale University. His interdisciplinary research explores the history of state-building, political economy, and spatial infrastructure in Zhou dynasty China.
Sponsor(s): Center for Chinese Studies