Routledge Handbook of Early Chinese History (Routledge Handbooks)

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.--provided By Publisher. Introduction: What Is Early Chinese History? / Paul R. Goldin -- Part I: Chronology -- Main Issues In The Study Of The Chinese Neolithic / Gideon Shelach-lavi -- Of Millets And Wheat: Diet And Health On The Central Plain Of China During The Neolithic And Bronze Age / Kate Pechenkina -- The Bronze Age Before The Zhou Dynasty / Robert Bagley -- The Western Zhou State / Li Feng -- The Age Of Territorial Lords / Chen Shen -- The Qin Dynasty / Charles Sanft -- The Former Han Empire / Vincent S. Leung -- The Latter Han Empire And The End Of Antiquity / Wicky W.k. Tse -- Part Ii: Topical Studies -- The Old Chinese Language / Axel Schuessler -- Writing / Luo Xinhui; Tr. Zachary Hershey And Paul R. Goldin -- The Spirit World / Jue Guo -- Religious Thought / Ori Tavor -- Political Thought / Yuri Pines -- Food And Agriculture / Roel Sterckx -- Warfare / Wicky W.k. Tse -- Currency / Franc ʹois Thierry -- Women In Early China: Views From The Archaeological Record / Anne Behnke Kinney -- An Overview Of The Qin-han Legal System From The Perspective Of Recently Unearthed Documents / Kyung-ho Kim And Ming-chiu Lai -- Literature / Stephen Durrant -- Art / Wang Haicheng -- Medicine In Early China / Miranda Brown -- Mathematics / Karine Chemla -- Astronomy / David Pankenier. Edited By Paul R. Goldin. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 CONTENTS 6 List of figures 9 List of tables 12 List of maps 13 Chronology 14 Acknowledgements 15 Contributors 16 Introduction: what is early Chinese history? 22 PART I Chronology 34 1 Main issues in the study of the Chinese Neolithic 36 2 Of millets and wheat: diet and health on the Central Plain of China during the Neolithic and Bronze Age 60 3 The Bronze Age before the Zhou dynasty 82 4 The Western Zhou state 105 5 The age of territorial lords 129 6 The Qin dynasty 167 7 The Former Han empire 181 8 The Latter Han empire and the end of antiquity 201 PART II Topical studies 218 9 The Old Chinese language 220 10 Early Chinese writing 238 11 The spirit world 250 12 Religious thought 282 13 Political thought 301 14 Food and agriculture 321 15 Warfare 340 16 Currency 357 17 Women in early China: views from the archaeological record 388 18 An overview of the Qin-Han legal system from the perspective of recently unearthed documents 407 19 Literature 426 20 Art 446 21 ‘Medicine’ in early China 480 22 Mathematics 494 23 Astronomy 514 Index 538 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. It is the first volume to include not only a comprehensive historical review, but also thematical topics, such as warfare, cities, agriculture, language, art and medicine.