China Books

In the last 50 years, Chinese archaeology has changed the traditional view about the formation and development of the civilization and art of this vast country. This book covers the period from 5000 BC to the 10th century AD, presenting more than 200 masterpieces in jade, stone, ivory, bone, pottery, bronze, lacquer, bamboo, gold, and silver. Together these astonishing objects confirm archaeologists? conclusion that Chinese civilization and art originated in and flowered throughout ancient China - rather than merely in the Yellow River Valley, as previous generations of scholars believed. The book consists of four sections: late Prehistoric China, the so-called Jade Age, which produced finely carved jade, stone, and pottery objects; the Early Bronze Age, which included cultures from both north and south, such as the Fuhao, Sanxingdui, and Xin?gan discoveries; the Chu Culture, a splendid period revealed through its silk, lacquer, jade, musical instruments, paintings, calligraphy, and ritual bronzes like those from the Zenghou Yi tomb; and Imperial China, represented by objects beginning with the first emperor and ending with the Five Dynasties, which include the Qin terra-cotta army, jade suits, Qingzhou Buddhist sculptures, and the Famensi gold and silver objects. Xiaoneng Yang offers a general introduction to the history and achievements of Chinese archaeology and prefaces each of the four periods with a lucid, brief discussion of the cultures that flourished, while each archaeological discovery is described in an introduction preceding each group of splendid objects. (For this item please quote stock ID 16645) ISBN: 9780300081329

'China?s Tarim mummies rank among the most remarkable archaeological finds of the 20th century' - Professor Brian Fagan, University of California 'Fascinating and well-researched . . . [Mallory and Mair] reach the daring, perhaps provocative conclusion that these were ?the first Europeans in China? ? a view certain to prove controversial' - Professor Colin Renfrew, University of Cambridge. How did tartan-wearing Indo-Europeans come to be in Asia, 2,000 years before West and East admitted each other?s existence? Describing their discovery and revealing the latest attempts of scientists to determine their ethnic identity, the authors examine all the evidence connected with the mummies, including textiles and languages of the Tarim region. Were these people Indo-Iranians, masters of the Eurasian steppes, or Tocharians, the most elusive of the major branches of Indo-Europeans? The suspense is maintained to the end, and the authors conclude by demonstrating the central place of the Tarim peoples in mediating between East and West (For this item please quote stock ID 20521) ISBN: 9780500051016

This book studies the formation of complex societies in prehistoric China during the Neolithic and early state periods, ca. 7000?1500 BC. Archaeological materials are interpreted through anthropological perspectives, using systematic analytic methods in settlement and burial patterns. Both agency and process are considered in the development of chiefdoms and in the emergence of early states in the Yellow River region. Interrelationships between factors such as mortuary practice, craft specialisation, ritual activities, warfare, exchange of elite goods, climatic fluctuations, and environmental changes are emphasised. This study offers a critical 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-determined sequence. In this most comprehensive study to date, Li Liu attempts to reconstruct developmental trajectories toward early states in Chinese civilisation and discusses theoretical implications of Chinese archaeology for the understanding of social evolution. (For this item please quote stock ID 25362) ISBN: 9780521811842

The magnificent objects showcased in this deck of Knowledge Cards draw upon 40 centuries of Chinese culture, form the 12th century B.C. to the early 20th century. You'll find a true cross section of Chinese are here: samples of work in many media - jade, bronze, textiles, paintings, ceramics, and more. These pieces are from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and represent both folk art and the sophisticated paintings of the literati. The text tells the story behind the art, including the place and period of origin, funciton, and cultural significance. With 48 fact-filled cards per package, Knowledge Cards are a great source of condensed information - all in a deck the size of a pack of playing cards. Each card feautres a stunning full-colour reproduction on one side, with informed illuminating comments on the other side, providing a splendid introduction to the marvels of Chiense art. (For this item please quote stock ID 21612) ISBN: 9780764913495

In the Xinjiang region, especially the vast area south of the Celestial Mountains (Tian Shan), the weather is extremely dry. Here desiccated corpses are often discovered in ancient graves. When unearthed, apart from dehydration, they remain basically the same as when buried with their hats, clothes, ornaments, and detailed physical features. They therefore provide us with rich historical and cultural information not previously selected or revised by scholars. Scientific data that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to acquire are obtained from these corpses and their associated artifacts - the inhabitants? racial characteristics, ethnic customs, basic necessities of life, religious beliefs, artistic and aesthetic concepts, nutritional condition, causes of illness, infestation by parasites, the natural ecological environment and its changes, etc. This data is unusually significant in Xinjiang, a region where minority races prevailed, where Chinese, Indian, Persian, Greek, and Roman cultures intermingled. This book describes the historical and cultural items that accompanied the ancient desiccated corpses. Contents: >On the Ancient Desiccated Corpses of Xinjiang & the Present Condition of Research Concerning Them: An Introduction >The Desiccated Corpses of Lopnur >Ancient Corpses at Wupu in Hami >Ancient Corpses of Zaghunluq >Ancient Corpses of Subeshi >Ancient Corpses fromm Niya >Ancient Corpses from Yingpan >Ancient Corpses from Turpan >Looking at the Racial Question of the Ancient Western Regions from Chinese Ancient Documents >Physical Anthropological Studies on the Racial Affinities of the Inhabitants of Ancient Xinjiang (For this item please quote stock ID 21459) ISBN: 9787228051618

The 'Treasures of Grassland: Archaeological Finds from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region' exhibition, consisting of over 200 artefacts, was held in Shanghai during 2000. Photographs of many of these relics are presented in this volume, accompanied by detailed captions and supplemented by articles on Inner Mongolian culture and archaeology. (For this item please quote stock ID 15794) ISBN: 9787806355879

The archaeological site of Yin Xu is located across both banks of the Huanhe River in the northern suburbs of Anyang City, is an ancient capital city of the late Shang Dynasty (1300 to 1046 BC). It testifies to the golden age of early Chinese culture, crafts and sciences. Yin Xu is also an important representative of Bronze Age civilizations worldwide. A number of royal tombs and palaces, prototypes of later Chinese architecture, have been unearthed on the site. (For this item please quote stock ID 27791) ISBN: 9787802282841