China's Origins: Ancient Legends and Modern Archaeology

Legends, ca. 100 BCE

Cultural heroes

Fuxi (Subduer of Animals)

Nüwa (Mother of Humanity)

Shen Nong (Divine Farmer)

Yellow Emperor

*The Three Sage Kings:

Yao
Shun
Yu

The Three Dynasties

*Xia (?)

Trad. 2200-1766 BCE

*Shang

1554—1046 BCE (Li Feng)

ca. 1600—1045 BCE (Hansen)

*Zhou (1045-256 BCE)

Only historical dynasty by 1900

"China": From Neolithic Agriculture to Early Complex Societies

Transitional Cultures: South China, ca. 8000 BCE

Shangshan, 8000 BCE

Map

Semi-permanent camps

Gathered wild varieties of rice

What technologies were they developing?

Pottery

Grinding stones for acorns

Origins of Domestic Rice

Carbonized remains of rice

Wild to Domesticated varieties

Chart with timeline

Paddies, ca. 6000 BP (4000 BCE)

Rice is main crop, ca. 5000 BP (3000 BCE)

Transitional Cultures: North China, ca. 6500-5000 BCE

Cishan-Peiligang

S. Hebei & S. Henan

Evidence of agriculture

Wild millet native to region

Carbonized remains in ash

Tools

Evidence of ???

Animal bones and artwork

Wolves>Dog

Pig

Wild boars tamed then domesticated

Wild animals and shells

Early Neolithic Cultures

*Yangshao (ca. 4500-3000 BCE), Central Plain

Millet

Domesticated Dogs and Pigs

Painted Pottery culture

Tools

Was agriculture the only source of food?

Village life: Model of Banpo

What were the social and political structures?

Religion

What is the meaning of this burial?

Grave at Dawenkou (not covered in class)

Archaeological Record of Early Complex Societies

*Erlitou, Ca. 1900-1550 BCE

Near Luoyang in W. Henan

Map of site

5 sq. kilometers

Population 18-30,000 at height around 1700

Few Burials

One large tomb empty except for dog skeleton

Scattered small-scale burial sites

Some with rich grave goods

Turquoise dragon and bronze bell, burial no. 3

Monumental buildings

20+ foundations

"Palace" #1 foundation, 16th c. BCE

108 x100 meters

Pounded earth foundation (hangtu)

Workshops

Pottery and bone manufacturing sites

Large-scale bronze works

2 dozen vessels and a few bells and weapons

Foundry covering 10,000 sq meters

Casting technology

Bronze Metallurgy

Controversies over origins

Longshan Sites, 2600-2000 BCE

Copper objects

Seima-Turbino Culture, 2200-1700 BCE

Cast bronze spearheads

Illustration of bronze spearheads and Map

Qijia Culture in Gansu ca. 2000 BCE

350 sites yielding 50 small objects

Is Erlitou the capital of a "state"? Capital of the Xia Dynasty?

"Xia" dynasty, Trad. 2200-1766 BCE

founded by Yu’s son Qi

Settlements within 200 km of Erlitou

Similar material culture

Lack large bronzes

Potential suppliers of resources

Millet for food supplies

Timber for house building

Charcoal for fuel to make bronzes

Kaolin for elite white ceramics

Metal for making bronzes

Pebbles for palace foundations

Salt for diet

Hansen, 3-15; Li Feng, Early China, 1-7, 41-65

1. What similarities and differences exist in the goals and time periods covered of Hansen’s and Li Feng’s textbooks?

• How does Hansen define China?
• How does Li define Early China (p. 5)? Why does he consider it to be an important period in Chinese history?

2. How do the two authors differ in the sources that they use as the basis for writing their books?

3. What controversies exist about the relationship between the archaeological record and the written sources?

• What are the traditional legends derived from written sources? According to Hansen, what is the dynastic cycle model that the written sources promoted?
• What does the archaeological record reveal?
• On page 61, Li writes “the relationship between the material culture and political entity never can be straightforward.” What does he mean?

4. How does Li define a “state” (p. 41-2)? What are the debates about the origins of the state in China?

• How was copper mined in early China (pp. 63-4)? Did this need to be state run or could this be free enterprise?