May 09, 2025

The Almost-Industrial Revolutions of Rome and China

48 minutes

Erik Torenberg and Samo Burja discuss the potential industrial revolutions in history, particularly in the Roman Empire and Song Dynasty China, their technological advancements, economic factors, and the reasons these revolutions didn't reach full fruition.

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LINKS:
Las Medulas in Spain: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/803/
Monte Testaccio in Rome: https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/ancient-history/monte-testaccio/?srsltid=AfmBOoonzF0CVGKjzUFs46kkI9fZ-FVcBTDOMAVs8vtFcxH4iKcNx09f

Bismarck Analysis: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/

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X / TWITTER:
@samoburja
@eriktorenberg
@turpentinemedia

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE:

Erik Torenberg and Samo Burja discuss "failed industrial revolutions" throughout history that aren't as widely recognized as the modern Industrial Revolution.

Contrary to the common belief of constant economic progress, human history has shown societies getting richer and then poorer in cycles.

The Roman Empire experienced an industrial revolution different from our modern understanding.

Roman slavery wasn't the reason they didn't industrialize further, as slaves became expensive in later periods.

Water power was extensively utilized by Romans for milling flour, ironworks, sawing wood, and cutting marble at industrial scales.

Romans employed sophisticated engineering, using aqueducts to transport water for power generation in various mechanical applications.

Archaeological evidence reveals hundreds of sites where Romans harnessed water power through complex waterwheel systems.

Romans understood the concept of using heat to generate motion, as demonstrated by Heron of Alexandria's steam engine experiment.

The scale of Roman metal production was so vast it left detectable lead pollution signatures in Greenland ice cores.

Monte Testaccio in Rome, an artificial hill composed entirely of broken pottery fragments, represents industrial-scale production of approximately 53 million amphoras.

Romans mass-produced standardized items including pottery, glassware, statues, and military equipment with interchangeable parts.

The Roman economy featured a sophisticated consumer market with a significant middle class that purchased mass-produced goods.

This era is underappreciated partly because it's concerning that a society on an industrialization trajectory could be interrupted.

Hollywood's portrayal of the era as merely "swords and sandals" fails to capture the advanced mechanical elements that would have appeared almost "steampunk" to modern eyes.

Roman cities like Alexandria were not just centers of taxation but significant production hubs with globalized trade networks.

The Roman Empire might have easily adopted more advanced steam power if they had needed to dig more coal, but their abundant wood and other fuel sources made it unnecessary.

Song Dynasty China in the 12th century represents another advanced technological society that still fell to military challenges despite its innovations.

Large-scale shipping over water appears to be a crucial prerequisite for industrialization in all these historical cases.

Industrial revolutions may plateau when growth of non-technological factors (population, territory) fails to keep pace with technological advancement.

The Hellenistic era (particularly Alexandria) is described as "the birthplace of modern science" and worthy of further discussion.

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