The Chinese Neolithic: Trajectories to Early States (New Studies in Archaeology) PDF
Preview The Chinese Neolithic: Trajectories to Early States (New Studies in Archaeology)
This page intentionally left blank TheChineseNeolithic ThisbookstudiestheformationofcomplexsocietiesinprehistoricChinaduringtheNeolithic andearlystateperiods,c.7000–1500BC.Archaeologicalmaterialsareinterpretedthrough anthropological perspectives, using systematic analysis of settlement and burial patterns. Bothagencyandprocessareconsideredinthedevelopmentofchiefdomsandintheemer- gence of early states in the Yellow River region. Interrelationships between factors such as mortuary practice, craft specialization, ritual activities, warfare, exchange of elite goods, climaticfluctuations,andenvironmentalchangesareemphasized.Thisstudyoffersacritical evaluation of current archaeological data from Chinese sources, and argues that, although some general tendencies are noted, social changes were affected by multiple factors in no pre-determinedsequence.Inthismostcomprehensivestudytodate,LiLiuattemptstore- constructdevelopmentaltrajectoriestowardearlystatesinChinesecivilizationanddiscusses theoreticalimplicationsofChinesearchaeologyfortheunderstandingofsocialevolution. LI LIU isSeniorLecturerinArchaeologyatLaTrobeUniversity.Shehaspublishedvarious articles on the Chinese Neolithic and is the author of State Formation in Early China (with XingcanChen)(2003). NEW STUDIES IN ARCHAEOLOGY SeriesEditors WendyAshmore,UniversityofPennsylvania CliveGamble,UniversityofSouthampton JohnO’Shea,UniversityofMichigan,AnnArbor ColinRenfrew,UniversityofCambridge Archaeologyhasmadeenormousadvancesreccently,bothinthevoumeofdiscoveriesandin itscharacterasanintellectualdiscipline:newtechniqueshavehelpedtofurthertherangeand rigouroftheinquiry,andhaveencouragedinter-disciplinarycommunication. Theaimofthisseriesistomakeavailabletoawideraudiencetheresultsofthesedevel- opments. The coverage is worldwide and extends from the earliest hunting and gathering societiestohistoricalarchaeology. Foralistoftitlesintheseriespleaseseetheendofthebook. LI LIU The Chinese Neolithic Trajectories to Early States Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge , UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521811842 © Li Liu 2004 This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published in print format 2005 - ---- eBook (NetLibrary) - --- eBook (NetLibrary) - ---- hardback - --- hardback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of s for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Dedicatedto myparents,mysisters,andTomandVicky CONTENTS Listofillustrations pageix Listoftables xiii Preface xv 1 Settingthescene 1 ConstructingtheLongshancultureinarchaeology 1 Longshancultureandconstructingnationalhistory 5 EvolutionaryapproachestothestudyofLongshanculture 10 Alternativeresearchstrategies 13 Thescopeofthebook 16 2 ThechangingenvironmentalcontextsofChina’sfirst complex societies 19 Geographicsettings 20 Reconstructionofpaleoenvironmentandculturaldevelopment 22 Conclusion 31 3 Householdsubsistenceandritual 33 Introduction 33 Householdactivities:ageneralsurvey 34 AhouseholdatKangjia 48 ImplicationsofKangjiaarchaeologicalremains 60 Conclusions 71 4 Spatialorganizationandsocialrelationsincommunities 73 Introduction 73 SpatialordersofsettlementsintheNeolithicperiod 74 SettlementorganizationinthelateNeolithicperiod 95 Discussionandconclusions 113 5 Communityburialpatterns 117 Introduction 117 AlternativeapproachestoNeolithicburialpatterns 118 Regionalvariabilityinburialpatterns 126 Discussion 151 Conclusion 157 vii Listofcontents viii 6 Developmentanddeclineofcomplexsocietiesinthe CentralPlains 159 Introduction 159 Methods 159 Data 161 Regionalsettlementpatterns 162 Socialcomplexityintheless-circumscribedregions 185 Settlementpatternsandsocialorganization 188 Discussionandconclusions 189 7 Developmentanddeclineofsocialcomplexitybeyond theCentralPlains 192 Introduction 192 RegionalsettlementpatternsinShandong 193 RegionalsettlementpatternsinCentralShaanxi 208 Settlementpatternsandsocialorganization:acomparison 219 Discussionandconclusions 221 8 Trajectoriestowardearlystates 223 Introduction:fromchiefdomstostates 223 TheErlitouculture–searchingfortheXiadynasty 226 TheProto-Shangculture 236 Conclusions 238 9 Reconstructingsocialprocesses 239 Introduction 239 Developmentofsocialhierarchyandintegration 239 Dynamicsofsocialchange 246 Conclusionsandfurtherresearchquestions 251 Notes 254 Appendixes 256 References 275 Index 301
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