China: A Brief Introduction to World Prehistory PDF

Archaeology and Humanity’s Story: A Brief Introduction to World Prehistory By Deborah I. Olszewski Archaeology and Humanity’s Story: A Brief Introduction to World Prehistory Any questions about: 1.Pharaonic State (303-306) 2.Old Kingdom Egypt (306-317) 3.After the Old Kingdom (317-320) Chapter 11 Sh...

Archaeology and Humanity’s Story: A Brief Introduction to World Prehistory By Deborah I. Olszewski Archaeology and Humanity’s Story: A Brief Introduction to World Prehistory Any questions about: 1.Pharaonic State (303-306) 2.Old Kingdom Egypt (306-317) 3.After the Old Kingdom (317-320) Chapter 11 Shang China Early Food Production Before Shang (p. 329-334) Shang China (p. 334-343) After Shang (p. 343-345) – Mandate of Heaven during the Warring States Period – Imperial China (Emperor’s Ghost Army ) © 2018 3 Chapter 11 Shang China: Key Questions China, Ancient and Modern: Researchers have posited links from the earliest divination markings in what is now China to the modern Chinese written language. Is it fair to say that modern Chinese culture has roots that are thousands of years old? How much cultural change does it take to constitute a new culture? How is the case of China similar to or different from other areas such as Egypt or North America? Oracle Bones, Diviners, and Shang Rulers: Shang rulers were extremely powerful individuals, but diviners capable of interpreting oracle bones also held a lot of power. How do you think diviners could use (or potentially misuse) this power? Human Sacrifice in Shang China: The concept of human sacrifice is unthinkable to us, but it was relatively common in Shang China (and other early states). What do you see as the ritual significance of this act? Which people were sacrificed and why? Ancestor Worship: There are elements of ancestor worship in many belief systems, past and present. What do you see as the social functions and benefits of reverence for ancestors? Are there versions of this practice that carry through your own culture? Elaborate Burials: How did Shang royals justify the magnificence of their burials? (This same question could be asked of any number of politically complex societies.) Do you think commoners ever questioned the “fairness” of these burial customs? © 2018 4 Chapter 11 Learning Objectives Review the timeline for this chapter. Understand early food production in China. Examine details of the pre-Shang period. Analyze the archaeology of Shang culture. Review points of post-Shang culture © 2018 5 Timeline: Yellow and Yangtze Rivers, China Politically complex states developed in several regions of China during the Neolithic. In these Neolithic societies we begin to see symbols that are precursors to later Chinese writing systems. Different regions were economically diverse and founded on different domesticated crops. This chapter focuses on the foundations of state-level societies in the Yellow and Yangtze River areas. © 2018 6 Map: Neolithic China © 2018 7 Early Food Production Early Neolithic settlements in China date to 8000 BC and have many different sizes, pottery styles, artifact types, and subsistence emphases. Neolithic peoples were sedentary but relied on both wild and domesticated foods. Populations shifted toward sedentism as domesticated crop production increased. Wild rice, millet, and even pigs were utilized for hundreds or thousands of years before being fully domesticated. © 2018 8 Before Shang Later Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Bronze Age sites reflect investment in domesticated resources, and growing political complexity. Here, we will focus on three early states in the Middle and Lower Yellow River area: the Yangshao, Longshan, and Erlitou cultures. © 2018 9 Yangshao (1 of 2) 5000 – 3000 BC Millet-based farming economy Demonstrated use of Chinese cabbage and some rice, and domesticated pigs, dogs, chickens, cattle, goats, and sheep © 2018 10 Yangshao (2 of 2) Villagers of this period continued to fish and collect wild plant and animal species. Evidence for status differences comes from Yangshao culture burials. © 2018 11 Longshan 3000 – 1800 BC; based on farming of domestic millet, rice, and pigs. Beginning of copper and bronze metallurgy Increased political complexity, seen in pottery and jade art, variation in grave goods, and settlement patterns. Centralized authority associated with specific large sites, leading to contested territories, raiding, and defensive measures. Direct evidence of violent conflict: bones of boys and men that show traumatic injuries, including scalping and dismemberment. Evidence for divination via scapulimancy. © 2018 12 Erlitou (1 of 2) 1800–1600 BC; associated with the Early Bronze Age. Emergence of the first Chinese state with political control over a larger region. More centralized and hierarchical than the preceding Longshan Culture. © 2018 13 Erlitou (2 of 2) Elites and craftspeople at urban centers did not produce their own food and likely received food as tribute. Erlitou Culture was united by shared white pottery vessel styles and, later, bronze vessels with widespread motifs. The urban center of Erlitou declined in importance after 1600 BC. © 2018 14 Shang China (1 of 2) 1600 – 1045 BC Although the exact relationship is unclear, there appears to be cultural continuity between Erlitou and the later Erligang Culture (early Shang; 1600–1400 BC). For example, Erligang continued the ritual use of bronze vessels, hierarchical settlement patterns, tribute payments, and elite control of craft production. © 2018 15 Shang China (2 of 2) Erligang controlled an interaction sphere much larger than Erlitou’s, and with greater military fortification. Some researchers describe Shang period political organization as states. © 2018 16 The Written Word (1 of 2) The first Chinese writing appears to be at least partly based on Neolithic signs. Early Shang China writing is mostly related to divination and preserved on animal bones and tortoise shell. © 2018 17 The Written Word (2 of 2) Unlike Egyptian and Mesopotamian systems, Chinese writing focused on divining the future. Diviners could interpret the cracks in bone or turtle plastron and reveal the results to Shang kings as a form of ritual guidance. © 2018 18 Resource Networks, Trade, and Exchange Natural resources for craft workshops of Zhengzhou and Anyang likely came as tribute from elsewhere in Shang territory. Craft production often focused on turquoise, jade, and bronze. Shang royals acquired exotic cowrie shells and may have redistributed these to elites and favored individuals. During the late Shang, bronze vessels were produced at Anyang and other Shang cities. Cattle bone was a ritually and practically significant material used to make hairpins, awls, arrowheads, shovels, and plaques. © 2018 19 Social Life (1 of 2) Under Shang control millet and pig farmers had to produce enough for tribute to Shang rulers. Households traced their ancestry patrilineally to a male ancestor who was revered. Some specialized laborers and craftspeople lived near the royal households to remain close to their work, and this proximity also displayed their social importance. © 2018 20 Social Life (2 of 2) Kings built Shang capital cities based on instructions received from diviniation. Shang kings often had many wives who carried out alliance-building ritual functions and ensured the continuation of the king’s male lineage. Royal burials include an array of bronze and jade weapons and ritual items; also human and animal sacrifices. According to oracle bones, most human sacrificial victims were war captives © 2018 21 Ritual and Religion (1 of 2) Reverence for male ancestors and gods pervades everything. Recognized deities included the high god Ti, the Yellow River god Ho, and the mountain god Yueh. Interaction with the supernatural was via ritual specialists and diviners Scapulimancy became standardized and more tightly regulated by diviners and kings. © 2018 22 Ritual and Religion (2 of 2) Ancestor worship in Shang China centered on bronze vessels and yearly cycles of ritual sacrifices: – Sacrifices included pigs, cattle, sheep, dogs, horses, and humans. – Diviners determined the type of sacrifice necessary. © 2018 23 Warfare and Violence Ceremonial sacrifices constitute a form of violence. Many sacrificial victims were war captives, and other captives became slaves. Shang rulers used warfare for calculated purposes: – Protecting borders from outsiders – Capturing non-Shang people for use as ritual sacrifices – Expanding Shang territory and resources via conquest The Shang military included officers, archers, charioteers, and the use of dogs. Elites had private armies of 3000 to 5000 soldiers that were contributed during war efforts. Female military commanders were rare but not unheard of (see Lady Hao) © 2018 24 After Shang (1 of 3) 1045 BC: Shang state conquered by Western Zhou and their allies Western Zhou leaders assimilated the existing Shang hierarchy. Zhou elites were trained as warriors, and inscribed bronze vessels (trophies) were given to celebrate battle victories. © 2018 25 After Shang (2 of 3) The second phase of the Zhou dynasty, known as the Eastern Zhou (770–256 B.C.), is subdivided into two periods, the Spring and Autumn period (770–ca. 476 B.C.) and the Warring States period (475–221 B.C.). During the Warring States period, seven major states contended for supreme control of the country, ending with the unification of China under the Qin in 221 B.C. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/shzh/hd_shzh.htm#:~:text=476%20B.C.)% 20and%20the%20Warring,the%20Qin%20in%20221%20B.C. On Wednesday, Jules will talk about the Mandate of Heaven during the Warring States Period, Xiongnu peoples of the Eurasian Steppe © 2018 26 After Shang (3 of 3) Imperial China began in 221 BC with the reign of the first sovereign emperor, Qin Shi Huang, founder of the Qin Dynasty China’s last emperor was overthrown in AD 1911, establishing modern China. © 2018 27 Qin Shi Huang Tomb Complex https://fod-infobase-com.libproxy.nau.edu/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=93464 © 2018 28 Chapter 11 Review Learning Objectives 11.1 Review the timeline for this chapter. 11.2 Understand early food production in China. 11.3 Examine details pre-Shang period. 11.4 Analyze the archaeology of Shang culture. 11.5 Review points of post-Shang culture © 2018 29