The Archaeology of Ancient China

3 units

This course will examine the development of Chinese civilization from its beginnings in the many regional village-level societies that developed around the country early in the Neolithic period to the emergence of politically unified states in the Bronze Age. The archaeological evidence for this transition, inluding the evidence for regional interaction and conflict, technologicall innovation, urbanization, ceremony and ritual will be examined. Various theoreticval perspectives will also be introduced to give students a framework for interpreting this evidence. Readings used for this course will be in English and will consist of materials from a variety of disciplines (primarily Archaeology, Anthropology, Art History, and History).