Routledge Handbook of Early Chinese History

Description

The study of early China has been radically transformed over the past fifty years by archaeological discoveries, including both textual and non-textual artefacts. Excavations of settlements and tombs have demonstrated that most people did not lead their lives in accordance with ritual canons, while previously unknown documents have shown that most received histories were written retrospectively by victors and present a correspondingly anachronistic perspective. This handbook provides an authoritative survey of the major periods of Chinese history from the Neolithic era to the fall of the Latter Han Empire and the end of antiquity (AD 220). It is the first volume to include not only a comprehensive review of political history but also detailed treatments of topics that transcend particular historical periods, such as: Warfare and political thought Cities and agriculture Language and art Medicine and mathematics Providing a detailed analysis of the most up-to-date research by leading scholars in the field of early Chinese history, this book will be useful to students and scholars of Chinese history, Asian archaeology, and Chinese studies in general. Cover Title Copyright CONTENTS List of figures List of tables List of maps Chronology Acknowledgements Contributors Introduction: what is early Chinese history? PART I Chronology 1 Main issues in the study of the Chinese Neolithic 2 Of millets and wheat: diet and health on the Central Plain of China during the Neolithic and Bronze Age 3 The Bronze Age before the Zhou dynasty 4 The Western Zhou state 5 The age of territorial lords 6 The Qin dynasty 7 The Former Han empire 8 The Latter Han empire and the end of antiquity PART II Topical studies 9 The Old Chinese language 10 Early Chinese writing 11 The spirit world 12 Religious thought 13 Political thought 14 Food and agriculture 15 Warfare 16 Currency 17 Women in early China: views from the archaeological record 18 An overview of the Qin-Han legal system from the perspective of recently unearthed documents 19 Literature 20 Art 21 ‘Medicine’ in early China 22 Mathematics 23 Astronomy Index