Ancient Central China: Centers and Peripheries Along the Yangzi River

Description

Ancient Central China provides an up-to-date synthesis of archaeological discoveries in the upper and middle Yangzi River region of China, including the Three Gorges Dam reservoir zone. It focuses on the Late Neolithic (late third millennium BC) through the end of the Bronze Age (late first millennium BC) and considers regional and interregional cultural relationships in light of anthropological models of landscape. Rowan K. Flad and Pochan Chen show that centers and peripheries of political, economic, and ritual activities were not coincident, and that politically peripheral regions such as the Three Gorges were crucial hubs in interregional economic networks, particularly related to prehistoric salt production. The book provides detailed discussions of recent archaeological discoveries and data from the Chengdu Plain, Three Gorges, and Hubei to illustrate how these various components of regional landscape were configured across Central China. Contents Figures Tables Boxes Acknowledgments 1 Introduction: Centers and Peripheries in the Ancient Yangzi River Valley Preliminaries In Defense of “Centers” Political Peripheries at the Analytical Center Outline of the Book Part I Setting the Stage 2 The Environment of Central China Introduction Physical Geography Sichuan Middle Yangzi Three Gorges Climate Modern Climate Conditions Ancient Climate Summary 3 Historiography and the Topography of Research: A History of Archaeology in Central China Introduction Pre-1949 Antiquarianism and Archaeology in Central China The Postwar Era Archaeological Florescence and Glasnost Conclusion: Archaeological Practice and the Nature of Data Part II Political and Cultural Topographies 4 The Sichuan Basin: Shu and Its Predecessors Historical Accounts of Shu Archaeological Perspectives on the Chengdu Plain The Baodun Culture The Sanxingdui Culture The Shi’erqiao Culture The Xinyicun Culture The Qingyanggong Culture Summary 5 The Middle Yangzi: The Archaeology and History of Chu and Its Predecessors Historical Accounts of Chu Archaeological Perspectives Neolithic The Shijiahe Culture Early to Middle Bronze Age (Shang) Western Zhou Era Eastern Zhou Era: Springs and Autumns to Warring States Summary Problematizing Traditional Narratives 6 Periphery at the Center: The Ba and Archaeological Cultures in the Three Gorges Historical Accounts of Yong and Ba Archaeological Perspectives on the Three Gorges Neolithic Early to Middle Bronze Age Late Bronze Age Summary Part III Topographies of Economic Activity and Ritual 7 Economic Topographies: Production, Exchange, and the Integrating Role of Salt Introduction Natural Resource Exploitation in Central China The Sichuan Basin Middle Yangzi Three Gorges Salt Production in the Three Gorges Conclusion 8 Ritual Topographies: Sacrifice and Divination Introduction “Sacrificial Sites” in Central China Sacrificial Pits K1 and K2 at Sanxingdui The Sacrificial Zone at Jinsha Middle Yangzi River Valley Bronze Sacrifices Divination Chengdu Area Middle Yangzi Three Gorges Conclusion 9 Ritual Topographies: Burials and Social Identity Burials and Burial Practice Sichuan Neolithic and Bronze Age Burials Warring States-Period Burials Middle Yangzi Neolithic to Early Bronze Age Burials Chu Burials Three Gorges Neolithic to Early Bronze Age Burials Late Bronze Age to Iron Age Burials Summary and Conclusion 10 Conclusion: Landscapes of Interaction and the Interaction of Landscapes Glossary Names of Institutions Mentioned in Text Bibliography Index