UCL INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGYA
ARCL3062
Art and Archaeology of Ancient China
Course Handbook for 2015/16, term 2
Optional course for year 2/3, 0.5 unit
Turnitin code and password: 2970211 and IoA1516
Tuesday 4-6pm, Room B13
Co-ordinator: Yijie Zhuang
y.zhuang@ucl.ac.uk
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1 OVERVIEW
1.
Schedule and week-by-week summary
Date
Topic
1. January 14
What are “China” and Chinese
civilizations?
2. January 21
Early agriculturists: Yangshao and
Hemudu
3. January 28
Neolithic burial and the development of
social complexity
4. February 4
Ritual and jade: Hongshan and
Liangzhu
5. February 11 The emergence of walled sites in the late
Neolithic
6. February 18 READING WEEK
7. February 25 Prehistoric pottery: discourse of Chinese
pottery
8. March 4
Erlitou: introduction of metallurgy and
early state formation
9. March 11
The Shang and its peers
10. March 18
The West Zhou: bureaucracy and early
states
11. March 25
The East Zhou: beginning of
urbanization
Instructor
Yijie Zhuang
Yijie Zhuang
Yijie Zhuang
Yijie Zhuang
Yijie Zhuang
No class meeting
Yijie Zhuang
Yijie Zhuang
Yijie Zhuang
Yijie Zhuang
Yijie Zhuang
Methods of assessment
The course is assessed by means of:
(a): one essay of 1,425-1,575 words, which will constitute 33% of the final mark of the
course;
(b): a 2 hour written examination in May, which will constitute 67% of the final mark of the
course.
Teaching methods
Lectures take place every week (except Reading Week)
Each lecture lasts for 2 hours. Students are occasionally required to give short presentation at
class and encouraged to participate in class discussions.
Students are encouraged to visit British Museum on their own. One voluntary visit to the
Chinese collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum might be arranged at a time agreed
between the students and lecturer.
Workload
There will be 20 hours of lectures. Students will be expected to undertake around 105 hours
of reading for the course, plus 15 hours preparing for and producing the essay, and additional
48 hours on revision for the examination. They add up to a total workload of some 188 hours
for the course.
2 AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND ASSESSMENT
Aims and Objectives
This course covers the period from the prehistory to the Bronze Age (c. 7000 BP-220BC). It
is designed to offer to 2nd or 3rd year students. It will explore Chinese archaeology in a
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great depth and provide the methodological foundation for further archaeological research.
At the end of the course, a student should have (1) an understanding of archaeological
material from the prehistoric period to the early Chinese empire; (2) an understanding of the
following major issues in Chinese archaeology: early agriculture, pottery and bronze
productions, mortuary practice, formation of state and empire, ritual and art, and the practice
of archaeology in modern China.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the course students should be able to demonstrate/have
developed:
• critical reflection of Western theoretical archaeological approaches to Chinese
archaeology
• a basic knowledge of the data
• the ability to write an essay on selected topic
• the ability to compare the knowledge acquired during the course with other
cultures
Course information
This handbook contains the basic information about the content and administration of the
course. Additional subject-specific reading lists and individual session handouts will be
given out at appropriate points in the course. If students have queries about the objectives,
structure, content, assessment or organisation of the course, they should consult the Course
Co-ordinator.
Coursework
Each student has to write ONE essays of 1,425-1,575 words. Late submission without good
cause and permission will incur a penalty.
The Course Co-ordinator is willing to discuss an outline of the student's approach to the
assignment, provided this is planned suitably in advance of the submission date.
Strict new regulations with regard to word-length were introduced UCL-wide with effect
from 2013:
For submitted coursework, where a maximum length has been specified, the following
procedure will apply:
i) The length of coursework will normally be specified in terms of a word count
ii) Assessed work should not exceed the prescribed length.
iii) For work that exceeds the specified maximum length by less than10% the mark will be
reduced by ten percentage marks; but the penalised mark will not be reduced below the pass
mark, assuming the work merited a pass.
iv) For work that exceeds the specified maximum length by 10% or more, a mark of zero will
be recorded.
Word counts
The following should not be included in the word-count: title page, contents pages, lists of
figure and tables, abstract, preface, acknowledgements, bibliography, lists of references,
captions and contents of tables and figures, appendices, and wording of citations in the text.
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Penalties will only be imposed if you exceed the upper figure in the range. There is no
penalty for using fewer words than the lower figure in the range: the lower figure is simply
for your guidance to indicate the sort of length that is expected.
Submission procedures (coversheets and Turnitin, including Class ID and password)
Students are required to submit hard copy of all coursework to the course co-ordinator pigeon
hole via the Red Essay Box at Reception by the last Friday of the teaching term. The
coursework must be stapled to a completed coversheet (available from the web, from outside
Room 411A or from the library)
Students should put their Candidate Number on all coursework. This is a 5-digit
alphanumeric code and can be found on Portico: it is different from the Student Number/ ID.
Please also put the Candidate Number and course code on each page of the work.
It is also essential that students put their Candidate Number at the start of the title line on
Turnitin, followed by the short title of the coursework.
Please note the stringent UCL-wide penalties for late submission given below. Late
submission will be penalized in accordance with these regulations unless permission has been
granted and an Extension Request Form (ERF) completed.
Date-stamping will be via ‘Turnitin’ (see below), so in addition to submitting hard copy,
students must also submit their work to Turnitin by the midnight on the day of the deadline.
Students who encounter technical problems submitting their work to Turnitin should email
the nature of the problem to ioa-turnitin@ucl.ac.uk in advance of the deadline in order that
the Turnitin Advisers can notify the Course Co-ordinator that it may be appropriate to waive
the late submission penalty.
If there is any other unexpected crisis on the submission day, students should telephone or
(preferably) e-mail the Course Co-ordinator, and follow this up with a completed ERF.
Please see the Coursework Guidelines on the IoA website for further details of penalties.
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/administration/students/handbook/submission
Further information on Turnitin submission is given on the IoA website.
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/administration/students/handbook/turnitin
Turnitin advisers will be available to help you via email: ioa-turnitin@ucl.ac.uk if needed.
UCL-WIDE PENALTIES FOR LATE SUBMISSION OF COURSEWORK
UCL regulation 3.1.6 Late Submission of Coursework
Where coursework is not submitted by a published deadline, the following penalties will
apply:
i) A penalty of 5 percentage marks should be applied to coursework
submitted the calendar day after the deadline (calendar day 1).
ii) A penalty of 15 percentage marks should be applied to coursework submitted on calendar
day 2 after the deadline through to calendar day 7.
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iii) A mark of zero should be recorded for coursework submitted on calendar day 8 after the
deadline through to the end of the second week of third term. Nevertheless, the assessment
will be considered to be complete provided the coursework contains material than can be
assessed.
iv) Coursework submitted after the end of the second week of third term will not be marked
and the assessment will be incomplete.
vii) Where there are extenuating circumstances that have been recognised by the Board of
Examiners or its representative, these penalties will not apply until the agreed extension
period has been exceeded.
viii) In the case of coursework that is submitted late and is also over length, only the lateness
penalty will apply.
Timescale for return of marked coursework to students.
You can expect to receive your marked work within four calendar weeks of the official
submission deadline. If you do not receive your work within this period, or a written
explanation from the marker, you should notify the IoA’s Academic Administrator, Judy
Medrington.
Keeping copies
Please note that it is an Institute requirement that you retain a copy (this can be electronic) of
all coursework submitted. When your marked essay is returned to you, you should return it
to the marker within two weeks.
Citing of sources
Coursework should be expressed in a student’s own words giving the exact source of any
ideas, information, diagrams etc. that are taken from the work of others. Any direct
quotations from the work of others must be indicated as such by being placed between
inverted commas. Plagiarism is regarded as a very serious irregularity which can carry
very heavy penalties. It is your responsibility to read and abide by the requirements for
presentation, referencing and avoidance of plagiarism to be found in the IoA ‘Coursework
Guidelines’ on the IoA website
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/administration/students/handbook
AVOIDING PLAGIARISM
The term “plagiarism” means presenting material (words, figures etc.) in a way that allows
the reader to believe that it is the work of the author he or she is reading, when it is in fact the
creation of another person.
In academic and other circles, plagiarism is regarded as theft of intellectual property. UCL
regulations, all detected plagiarism is to be penalized and noted on the student’s record,
irrespective of whether the plagiarism is committed knowingly or unintentionally. The whole
process of an allegation of plagiarism and its investigation is likely to cause considerable
personal embarrassment and to leave a very unpleasant memory in addition to the practical
consequences of the penalty. The penalties can be surprisingly severe and may include failing
a course or a whole degree. It is thus important to take deliberate steps to avoid any
inadvertent plagiarism.
Avoiding plagiarism should start at the stage of taking notes. In your notes, it should be
wholly clear what is taken directly from a source, what is a paraphrase of the content of a
source and what is your own synthesis or original thought. Make sure you include sources
and relevant page numbers in your notes.
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When writing an essay any words and special meanings, any special phrases, any clauses or
sentences taken directly from a source must be enclosed in inverted commas and followed by
a reference to the source in brackets. It is not generally necessary to use direct quotations
except when comparing particular terms or phrases used by different authors. Similarly, all
figures and tables taken from sources must have their origin acknowledged in the caption.
Captions do not contribute to any maximum word lengths.
Paraphrased information taken from a source must be followed by a reference to the source.
If a paragraph contains information from several sources, it must be made clear what
information comes from where: a list of sources at the end of the paragraph is not sufficient.
Please cite sources of information fully, including page numbers where appropriate, in order
to avoid any risk of plagiarism: citations in the text do not contribute to any maximum word
count.
To guard further against inadvertent plagiarism, you may find it helpful to write a plan of
your coursework answer or essay and to write the coursework primarily on the basis of your
plan, only referring to sources or notes when you need to check something specific such as a
page number for a citation.
COLLUSION, except where required, is also an examination offence. While discussing
topics and questions with fellow students is one of the benefits of learning in a university
environment, you should always plan and write your coursework answers entirely
independently.
Examination
This course has a two-hour unseen examination, which will be held during May; the specific
date and time will be announced when the schedule of examinations is set by the College. In
the examination, students will have to answer 2 out of 5 questions. Previous examination
papers, with the same format and examples of the style of questions which will be asked, are
available for consultation in the Institute Library, and are available on the UCL Web-site. A
revision session to discuss the examination will be held in the first week of the third term.
3 SCHEDULE AND SYLLABUS
Teaching schedule
Lectures will be held 4-6pm in room B13 every Tuesday. One voluntary museum visit might
be scheduled after the reading week, subject to finalisation of the arrangements and
discussion with the class. Further details will be announced closer to the date.
Syllabus
Week 1: What are “China” and Chinese civilizations?
The quickly accumulating archaeological materials and increasing international
collaborations in China present a timely opportunity for the rethinking of two fundamental
topics in Chinese archaeology: what are “China” and Chinese civilizations? This lecture will
deal with these two issues first by looking at the history of archaeology in China in retrospect
and by discussing the development of the so-called Chinese school of archaeology. New
challenges brought about by the new archaeological discoveries and new chronologies all
over China and how these will reshape our thinking of “China” and the trajectories of
Chinese civilizations will be discussed. The second half of the lecture will provide a brief
summary of characteristics of Chinese civilizations in a comparative perspective. This will
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facilitate a reconsideration of what was “art” in Chinese prehistoric and early-historic
contexts and how we can understand Chinese art in archaeological contexts.
Essential reading
Von Falkenhausen, Lothar. 1993. On the historiographical orientation of Chinese
archaeology. Antiquity, vol. 67: 839-849
Wang, Tao. 1997. Establishing the Chinese archaeological school: Su Bingqi and
contemporary Chinese archaeology". Antiquity, vol. 71: 31-39.
Zhang, Liangren. 2013. The Chinese school of archaeology. Antiquity, vol. 87: 896–904
Optional reading
Fiskesjo, M., & X.C., Chen. 2004. China Before China: Johan Gunnar Andersson, Ding
Wenjiang, and the Discovery of China's Prehistory. Bilingual in English and Chinese.
Stockholm: Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities monographs no. 15.
Keightley, D.N. 1977. Ping-Ti Ho and the origins of Chinese civilization. Harvard Journal of
Asiatic Studies, vol. 37: 381-411
Keightley, D.N. 1990. Early Civilization in China: Reflections on How it Became Chinese,
in Paul S. Ropp (ed.). Heritage of China: Contemporary Perspectives on Chinese
Civilization, Berkeley: University of California Press.
Liu, L. 2009. Academic Freedom, Political Correctness, and Early Civilization in Chinese
Archaeology: the debate on Xia-Erlitou Relations. Antiquity, Vol. 83: 831-843.
Trigger, B.G. 2007. Understanding Early Civilizations: A Comparative Study. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Week 2: Early agriculturists: Yangshao and Hemudu
China is well known for its long-lasting agricultural tradition alongside its rich agricultural
rituals and social organization. This goes back to the Neolithic periods. This lecture will
investigate and compare the prolonged discourses of agricultural development in North and
South China, represented by the Yangshao and Hemudu cultures, respectively.
Essential reading
Fuller, D.Q & M., Rowlands. 2011. Ingestion and Food Technologies: Maintaining
differences over the long-term in West, South and East Asia. In Bennet, J., Sherratt, S.,
Wilkinson, T. C. (Eds.). Interweaving Worlds - systematic interactions in Eurasia, 7th to 1st
millennia BC. Essays from a conference in memory of Professor Andrew Sherratt ( pp.37-60).
Oxford: Oxbow Books Ltd.
Liu, L. & X.C., Chen. 2012. The Archaeology of China: From the Late Paleolithic to the
Early Bronze Age. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chapter 5 & 6.
Optional reading
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Fuller, D.Q., E., Harvey, & L, Qin. 2007. Presumed domestication? Evidence for wild rice
cultivation and domestication in the fifth millennium BC of the Lower Yangtze region.
Antiquity, vol. 81: 316-331.
Fuller, D.Q. & L., Qin. 2009. Water management and labour in the origins and dispersal of
Asian rice. World Archaeology, vol. 41: 88-111.
Pei, A.P. 2013. The Pengtoushan culture in the Middle Yangtze River Valley. In Underhill,
A.P. (ed.) A Companion to Chinese Archaeology. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.
Sun, G.P. 2013. Recent research on the Hemudu culture and the Tianluoshan site. In In
Underhill, A.P. (ed.) A Companion to Chinese Archaeology. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.
Zhang, J.Z. 2013. The Jiahu site in the Huai River Area. In Underhill, A.P. (ed.) A
Companion to Chinese Archaeology. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.
Zhao, Z.J. 2011. New archaeobotanic data for the study of the origins of agriculture in China.
Current Anthropology, Vol. 52, S4.
Week 3: Neolithic burial and the development of social complexity
Burials with rich burial goods can be considered as one of the distinctive traditions of
Chinese civilizations. When did this start and how did this evolve? The two parallel mortuary
traditions in the Yangshao culture of Central China and the Dawenkou culture in the Lower
Yellow River represent the early stage of this long-standing tradition. By the end of the
Dawenkou period, evidence of class division and social inequality appeared. By the late
Neolithic, this tradition entered into a new era, manifested by the clear contrast between large
tombs, presumably belonging to elite class, and small tombs in size, structure and burial
goods. These provide a unique perspective for the development of social complexity
throughout the later half of the Neolithic in China.
Essential reading
Allard, F. 2001. Mortuary ceramics and socialization in the Dawenkou and Majiayao cultures.
Journal of East Asian Archaeology, vol. 3:1-22.
Luan, F.S. 2013. The Dawenkou culture in the Lower Yellow River and Huai River Basin
Area. In In Underhill, A.P. (ed.) A Companion to Chinese Archaeology. Malden: WileyBlackwell.
Pearson, R.1988. Chinese neolithic burial pattern: problems of method and interpretation.
Early China 13: 1-45.
Optional reading
Fung, C. 2000. The drinks are on us: ritual, social status, and practice in Dawenkou burials,
North China. Journal of East Asian vol. 2: 67-92.
He, N. 2013. The Longshan period site of Taosi in Southern Shanxi Province. In Underhill,
A.P. (ed.) A Companion to Chinese Archaeology. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.
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Liu, L. & X.C., Chen. 2012. The Archaeology of China: From the Late Paleolithic to the
Early Bronze Age. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chapter 6 & 7
Liu, L. 2004. The Chinese Neolithic: Trajectories to Early States. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press. Chapter 5.
Underhilll, A.P. 1997. Current issues in Chinese Neolithic archaeology. Journal of World
Prehistory, vol. 11: 103-160.
Zhao, C.Q. 2013. The Longshan culture in central Henan Province, c. 2600-1900 BC. In
Underhill, A.P. (ed.) A Companion to Chinese Archaeology. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.
Week 4: The emergence of walled sites in the late Neolithic
The late-Neolithic period in both north and south China witnessed the construction of many
walled sites in a relatively short time span. This lecture will first investigate the location of
these walled sites. Different types of relationships between these walled sites and their local
environments will be discussed. Internal structures of these sites as revealed by recent
archaeological discoveries will be presented, as well as the emerging evidence of urban lives
at these sites. The second half of this lecture will be dedicated to the survey of settlement
patterns amongst these large walled sites and adjacent smaller sites in different regions.
Essential reading
He, N. 2013. The Longshan period site of Taosi in Southern Shanxi Province. In Underhill,
A.P. (ed.) A Companion to Chinese Archaeology. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.
Sun, B. 2013. The Longshan culture of Shandong. In Underhill, A.P. (ed.) A Companion to
Chinese Archaeology. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.
Optional reading
Liu, L. & X.C., Chen. 2012. The Archaeology of China: From the Late Paleolithic to the
Early Bronze Age. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chapter 6 & 7
Qin, L. 2013. The Liangzhu culture. In Underhill, A.P. (ed.) A Companion to Chinese
Archaeology. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.
Zhang, C. 2013. The Qujialing-Shijiahe culture in the Middle Yangzi River Valley. In
Underhill, A.P. (ed.) A Companion to Chinese Archaeology. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.
Zhao, C.Q. 2013. The Longshan culture in central Henan Province, c. 2600-1900 BC. In
Underhill, A.P. (ed.) A Companion to Chinese Archaeology. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.
Week 5: Ritual and jade: Hongshan and Liangzhu
The Hongshan culture is one of the most important Neolithic cultures in East Inner Mongolia
and West Manchuria. From the Dongshanzui and Niuheliang sites in Liaoning province,
some human-sized clay goddess figurines and jade items have been found, which are so far
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unique in China. Yet there is a long-last speculation that its jade tradition may have been
widely connected to contemporary cultures and influential to succeeding cultures.
Much further south in the Lower Yangtze River, the later-period Liangzhu culture has the
most advanced jade industry with high-quality raw materials and meticulously-decorated
motifs. Jade artefacts seemed to have played a central role in many aspects of the Liangzhu
society and served as a tool for classifying social status. The Liangzhu-type jade artefacts are
discovered all over China now and the motifs are linked to the taotie motif on later Shang
bronzes.
After introducing discoveries from these two cultures, this lecture will also show how the
studies of these two jade industries, of different spatial and temporal contexts, can inform
each other for a better understanding of ritual development and the Neolithic art of China.
Essential reading
Barnes, G. L., & D.S., Guo. 1996. The ritual landscape of ‘Boar Mountain’ Basin: The
Niuheliang site complex of northeastern China. World Archaeology, vol. 28: 209–219.
Qin, L. 2013. The Liangzhu culture. In Underhill, A.P. (ed.) A Companion to Chinese
Archaeology. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.
Optional reading
Li, X.W. 2008. Development of Social Complexity in the Liaoxi Area, Northeast China.
Oxford: BAR
Nelson, S.M.(ed.). 1995. The Archaeology of Northeast China: Beyond the Great Wall.
London and New York: Routledge. Part I: Neolithic.
Shelach, G. & M.Y. Teng. 2013. Earlier Neolithic economic and social systems of the Liao
River Region, Northeast China. In Underhill, A.P. (ed.) A Companion to Chinese
Archaeology. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.
So, J.F. & J., Douglas. 1998. Understanding and identifying jades from the Hongshan culture.
In Tang, C. (ed.). East Asian Jade: Symbol of Excellence. Vol. 1. Hong Kong: The Chinese
University o Hong Kong.
Sun Z.X. 1993. The Liangzhu Culture: Its discovery and its jades. Early China 18:1-40.
Teng, S.P. 2004. Incised emblems on ritual jades of the Liangzhu culture. In Yang, X.N. (ed.).
New Perspectives on China’s Past, Chinese Archaeology in the Twentieth Century. New
Haven: Yale University Press.
Zhang, H., A., Bevan. & D.S., Guo. 2012. The Neolithic ceremonial complex at Niuheliang
and wider Hongshan landscapes in Northeastern China. Journal of World Prehistory, vol. 26:
1-24.
Week 6: Reading Week
Week 7: Prehistoric pottery: discourse of Chinese pottery
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The earliest pottery in East Asia, discovered at the Xianrendong cave in south China, dates
back to about 20000 cal. BP. This significant invention perhaps laid important foundation for
China’s long and salient tradition in ceramic production. The Neolithic period, however, was
critical for the development of this industry. The Yangshao period saw the first advancement
of ceramic production as evidenced by the production of the highly-decorated and nearly
standardized colour-painted pottery. This was succeeded by mass-produced colour-painted
pottery in northwest China, represented by the Majiayao, Banshan and Machang cultures.
New scientific evidence demonstrates that they were most likely used in long-distance trade.
The classical archaeological narrative of the development of pottery production in late
Neolithic is that it went declined compared to the previously period. But is this true? The last
part of this lecture will show the continuing technological advancement in the late Neolithic
in pottery production in south (white pottery) and north (black pottery) China, characterized
by the inventions such as potter’s wheel and an advanced kiln technology, and the possible
change in the functions and economic roles of the pottery.
Essential reading
Liu, L. 2003. The products of minds as well as of hands: Production of prestige goods in the
Neolithic and early state periods of China. Asian Perspectives, vol. 42:1-40.
Underhill, A.P. 2002. Craft Production and Social Change in Northern China. New York:
Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers. Chapter one.
Optional reading
Allard, F. 2001. Mortuary ceramics and socialization in the Dawenkou and Majiayao cultures.
Journal of East Asian Archaeology, vol. 3:1-22.
Dai, X.M. 2006. Pottery Production, Settlement Patterns and Development of Social
Complexity in the Yuanqu Basin, North-Central China. Oxford: Archaeopress. Chapter 4.
Hung, L.Y. 2011. Pottery Production, Mortuary Practice, and Social Complexity in the
Majiayao Culture, NW China (ca. 5300-4000 BP). PhD dissertation. Washington University
in St Louis. Sections 1.4 & 5.3. Available online.
von Falkenhausen, L. 1995. The regionalist paradigm in Chinese archaeology. In Kohl, P. &
C. Fawcett (eds.). Nationalism, Politics, and the Practice of Archaeology. New York:
Cambridge University Press.
Week 8: Erlitou: introduction of metallurgy and early state formation
There is a growing consensus that metallurgy was introduced to China via steppes or
corridors in northwest China in the end of the Neolithic, despite occasional finds of metal
objects in earlier contexts in China. But this technology was quickly incorporated into the
already highly-developed Chinese pyro-tradition as represented by the mature pottery
industry (last lecture). Its use then went into a completely different direction from that in its
original place: bronze vessels were abundantly produced for elite classes and used in ritual
ceremonies. The first half of the lecture will investigate how did this process take place and
how did this become a distinctive Chinese characteristic.
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Erlitou is also considered as the urban center of the early state in China. Through the
obtainment of ore resources and other resources, the Erlitou elite who had mastered bronzeproducing technology controlled many of its adjacent areas in variable ways. It was through
this the first state was founded. While the ongoing excavations at Erlitou have generated rich,
fascinating discoveries (e.g., large-sized ram-earthed foundations, spectacular jade objects,
etc.), indeed pointing to a complex early-state organization, the excavations in other regions
have revealed equally advanced, if not more complex, societies across China during this time.
The second half of the lecture will focus on the interaction amongst these contemporary
cultures in different regions and discuss how such a process contributing to the formation of
early states in China.
Essential reading
Liu, L. & X.C., Chen. 2012. The Archaeology of China: From the Late Paleolithic to the
Early Bronze Age. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chapter 8.
Xu, H. 2013. The Erlitou culture. In Underhill, A.P. (ed.) A Companion to Chinese
Archaeology. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.
Optional reading
Liu, L. & X.C., Chen. 2003. State Formation in Early China. London: Duckworth.
Trigger, B.G. 2003. Understanding Early Civilizations: A Comparative Study. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press. Second part: Sociopolitical Organization.
Week 9: The Shang and its peers
Modern archaeology in China began at Yinxu (ruin of Yin-Shang) in Anyang, the capital of
the late Shang. Excavations for nearly a century here have unearthed fascinating remains left
by both the Shang elites and other classes. The Yinxu site complex is now regarded as the
“Great Shang Settlement”, representing the switch of archaeological practice and research in
China from material culture towards a more complete understanding of ancient societies.
Erligang is considered as the site for the mid-Shang capital. An investigation of the Erligang
culture will enable a better understanding of the trajectory about how the late Shang
succeeded the Erligou culture and how it became powerful.
This lecture will also include contemporary cultures in other regions, mainly including
Sanxingdui, Dayangzhou and Panglongcheng, to investigate the relationship between the
Shang and its peers.
The last part of the lecture will be devoted to the discussion of the early writing and bronze
vessels discovered at these sites and their social implications.
Essential reading
Bagley, R. 1999. Shang Archaeology. In Michael Loewe and Edward L.
Shaughnessy (eds). The Cambridge History of Ancient China. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
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Campbell, R.B. 2009. Toward a networks and boundaries approach to early complex polities:
The Late Shang case. Current Anthropology, vol. 50: 821-848
Jing, Z.C., J.G., Tang, G., Rapp & J. Stoltman. 2013. Recent discoveries and some thoughts
on early urbanization at Anyang. In Underhill, A.P. (ed.) A Companion to Chinese
Archaeology. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.
Optional reading
Keightley, D.N. 2000. The Ancestral Landscape: Time, Space, and Community in Late Shang
China (ca. 1200-1045 B.C.) Berkeley: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of
California at Berkeley.
Li, Y.T., & M.C., Hwang. Archaeology of Shanxi during the Yinxu period. In Underhill, A.P.
(ed.) A Companion to Chinese Archaeology. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.
Robert, L. Thorp. 2006. China in the Early Bronze Age: Shang Civilization. Philadelphia:
University of Pennsylvania Press
Yuan, K.G. 2013. The discovery and study of the early Shang culture. In Underhill, A.P. (ed.)
A Companion to Chinese Archaeology. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.
Week 10: The West Zhou: bureaucracy and early states
The pre-dynastic settlement of the West Zhou is along the Wei River in Shaanxi province. It
is mentioned in the Shang oracle bone inscriptions. The pre-dynastic relationship between
the West Zhou and the Shang is tributive, but sometimes hostile. Immediate after the conquer
of the Shang in the mid 11th century BC., the West Zhou established an effective state system
to manage its volatile relations with its neighbours. The nature of this system, whether it is a
feudal system, resembling some other entities around the world, or a Fengjian system which
has its own characteristics, is debatable; but the main focus for us is, in addition to textual
records, how it is system reflected in archaeological records?
Main archaeological discoveries used in this discussion include excavations and surveys at
Zhouyuan (the Great Zhouyuan Settlement) and Fenghao in Shaanxi Province, capitals of the
early and late West Zhou, respectively, and excavations of the tombs and cities of the early
states outside the core area of the West Zhou.
Essential reading
Li, F. 2008. Bureaucracy and the State in Early China: Governing the Western Zhou.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chapter 2; read other chapters too if have time
Rawson, J. 1999. Western Zhou archaeology. In Loewe, M. and Shaughnessy, E. (eds.). The
Cambridge History of Ancient China, pp. 352-449.
Von Falkenhausen, Lothar. 2006. Chinese Society in the Age of Confucius (1000-250 BC):
The Archaeological Evidence. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, UCLA.
Optional reading
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Li, F. 2006. Landscape and Power in Early China: The Crisis and Fall of the Western Zhou
(1045-771 B.C.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Rawson, J. 1989. Statesmen or Barbarians? The Western Zhou as Seen Through Their
Bronzes. London: British Academy.
Shaughnessy, E. 1999. Western Zhou history. In Loewe, M. and Shaughnessy, E. (eds.). The
Cambridge History of Ancient China, pp. 292-351.
So, J. and Bunker, E. 1995. Traders and Raiders on China's Northern Frontier. Seattle:
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, in association with University of
Washington Press
Von Falkenhausen, Lothar. 2004. Mortuary Behavior in Pre-Imperial Qin: A Religious
Interpretation. In Chinese Religion and Society, John Lagerwey (ed.), v. 1: 109-172. Hong
Kong: Chinese University Press.
Week 11:
The East Zhou: beginning of urbanization
The East Zhou is divided into (1) the Spring & Autumn and (2) the Warring States periods.
During the East Zhou period, the society underwent a fast transformation, which can be seen
through rich archaeological discoveries. Amongst these the beginning and fast development
of urbanization and the growth of local urban centers, for both political and economic reasons,
are the two most evidence changes. The first half of the lecture will introduce archaeological
discoveries from the states of the East Zhou, focusing particularly on cities, daily lives,
enhancement of ritual ceremonies and continuing social stratification, and beginning of
commercialization. These will be used as the first-hand data for the recurrent, yet still poorly
understood topic, urbanization, in China.
The second half of the lecture is concerned with the growing powers and regional cultures
during this period, with emphasis placed on the Chu culture in the south. In revisiting the
recent discoveries from these regional cultures, we will discuss how they added a great
diversity to the processes of urbanization and social transformation during this time and how
such processes paved the important ground for the establishment of the first empire.
Essential reading
Shen, C. 2003. Compromises and conflicts: Production and commerce in the royal cities of
Eastern Zhou, China. In Smith, N. (ed.), The Social Construction of Ancient Cities.
Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books.
Von Falkenhausen, Lothar. 2008. Stages in the development of “cities” in pre-imperial China.
In Marcus, J & Sabloff, J.A. (eds.). The Ancient City: New Perspectives on Urbanism in the
Old and New World. Santa Fe: School for Advanced Research Press.
Optional reading
Albert E. Dien. 1987. Chinese Beliefs in the Afterworld. In The Quest for Eternity: Chinese
Ceramic Sculptures from the People’s Republic of China. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County
Museum of Art.
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Chang, C.S. 2010. The Rise of the Chinese Empire. Vol. 1. Nation, State, and Imperialism in
Early China, ca. 1600 B.C. – A.D. 8. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press.
Di Cosmo, N. 1999. The northern frontier in pre-imperial China. Loewe, M. and
Shaughnessy, E. (eds.). The Cambridge History of Ancient China. pp. 885-966. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Di Cosmo, N. 2002. Ancient and Its Enemies: The Rise of Nomadic Power in East Asian
History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Li, X.Q. 1985. Eastern Zhou and Qin Civilization. New Haven. Yale University Press
Shen, C. 1994. Early urbanization in the Eastern Zhou in China (770—221 BC): an
archaeological view. Antiquity, vol. 68: 724-744
Sit, V.F.S. 2010. Chinese City and Urbanism Evolution and Development. New Jersey:
World Scientific. Chapter 6.
Essay topics (select one)
1. What are the basic features of prehistoric settlement in China?
2. Discuss the significance of agricultural development in prehistoric times (using examples
from Yangshao, Hemudu or Longshan cultures).
3. What are the main differences between Shang metropolitan bronzes and the bronzes
belonging to other regional cultures?
4. What are the main reasons accounted for the cultural diversity in the Eastern Zhou period?
5. Discuss the significance of the jade artefact in Liangzhu and/or Hongshan cultures (using
example from these two cultures).
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