ANCIENT CHINA

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ANCIENT CHINA
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PRE-HISTORICCHINA
Neolithic 12,000-2000 bce Yangshao Culture
5000-2500 bce Hongshan Culture 4700- 2900 bce
Lung-shan Culture 2500-1000 bce Xia Dynasty
21st 16th c. bce
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Paleolithic ChinaPeking Man

• Fossils found in 1920s -30s -- date to 500,000
  bce
• Classified as HOMO ERECTUS

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Neolithic China ca. 12,000-2000 bce
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Neolithic China ca. 12,000-2000 bce

• Neolithic period began ca. 12,000 bce in China,
  but good evidence dates back only to 4,000 bce
• Agriculture concentrated near Yellow River
  millet was main crop
• Silk production began even before the Neolithic
  period.
• Clustered dwellings suggest importance of kinship

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9000 year-old flutes
These 9,000-year-old Chinese flutes are believed
to be the oldest known playable instruments.
They're made from the forelimbs of a rare crane.
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Yangshao Culture5000-2500 bce

• Their handcrafted, Painted Pottery occasionally
  bears a single incised sign that may be a
  forerunner of Chinese writing
• Domesticated the dog and the pig

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Lung-shan Culture ca.2500-1000 bce

• Black Pottery
• Practiced ancestor worship
• Domesticated pig, dog, sheep and ox

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Jade

• Early Chinese describe jade as embodying five
  virtues
• Benevolence is typified by its luster that is
  bright and warm
• Integrity by its translucency
• Wisdom by its sonorous ring when struck
• Courage by its hardness
• Steadfastness by its durability

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Neolithic Jade

• Modern jade includes nephrite and jadeite only
  nephrite used in Neolithic times
• Ranges widely in color, from pale to dark green,
  from white to yellow, from brown to black.
• Extremely hard, so very difficult to work. It
  cannot be carved, but must be ground by a
  material harder than itself
• The Neolithic tools of choice were probably a gut
  saw and bamboo drill together with an abrasive in
  the form of river sand or sludge.
• Earliest pieces date ca. 7000 bce

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Hongshan Jade

• Far to the northeast, in the Manchurian hills,
  archaeologists have uncovered traces of a
  ceremonial center associated with the Hongshan
  culture (4700-2920 B.C.).
• Jade objects found in tombs

Jade coiled pig-dragon, Hongshan Culture (c.
4700-2920 B.C.)
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Liangzhu Jade Congs

• Found almost exclusively in burial contexts,
  indicating ritual and religious significance
• Unique form of a circle within a square suggests
  some cosmological
  significance.
• Perhaps the circle symbolizes heaven, and the
  square symbolizes earth

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Chinese Creation Myth

• In the beginning there was nothing in the except
  a formless chaos.
• The chaos coalesced into a cosmic egg for about
  18,000 years.
• Within it, the perfectly opposed principles
  of Yin and Yang became balanced and Pangu emerged
  from the egg.
• Pangu set about the task of creating the world
  he separated Yin from Yang with a swing of his
  giant axe, creating the Earth (murky Yin) and
  the Sky (clear Yang).
• To keep them separated, Pangu stood between them
  and pushed up the Sky.

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Pangu
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Chinese Creation Myth

• After the 18,000 years had elapsed, Pangu was
  laid to rest.
• His breath became the wind his voice
  the thunder left eye the sun and right eye
  the moon his body became the mountains and
  extremes of the world his blood formed rivers
  his muscles the fertile lands
• His facial hair the stars and milky way his fur
  the bushes and forests his bones the valuable
  minerals his bone marrows sacred diamonds his
  sweat fell as rain and the fleas on his fur
  carried by the wind became the fish and animals
  throughout the land. 

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Nüwa

• Nüwa is the goddess who is credited with the
  creation of mankind and the maintenance of the
  heavens
• Half-woman, half-dragon

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Nüwa and the Creation of Man

• When Nüwa looked down upon the earth for the
  first time, she saw that it was full of life but
  empty of creatures.
• She took handfuls of yellow clay from the banks
  of the rivers and molded beings from them. She
  found that the clay was not strong enough to
  remain erect, so she reinforced it with carefully
  woven ropes spread throughout their bodies.
• Once she had created all the animals of the world
  and begun work on mankind, Nüwa became tired and
  no longer wished to form each one individually
  instead, she dipped a great rope in the mud and
  began flicking it, causing drops of the clay to
  spin off and form humans on their own.
• These were the common people of the world, and
  those she had created with her own hands became
  the nobles.

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San Huang (Three August Ones)ca. 3000-2700 bce

• A succession of legendary sage-emperors taught
  the ancient Chinese to communicate and to find
  sustenance, clothing, and shelter.
• Fu Xi, the first legendary Emperor, taught many
  arts, such as the use of fishing nets, the
  breeding of silk worms, and the taming of wild
  animals. He invented music, the casting of
  oracles and the one hundred Chinese family names.

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San Huang

• Suiren taught how to build a fire and to cook
  food.
• Shennong,  "Divine Farmer," also known as
  the Emperor of the Five Grains, taught the
  practices of agriculture and the use of herbal
  drugs and acupuncture.

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Wu Di (Five Emperors)2700-2200 bce

• Legendary, morally perfect sage-kings
  inventors and giver of gifts to mankind.
  According to Sima Qians The Records of the Grand
  Historian
• Huang-di, The Yellow Emperor
• Zhuanxu
• Ku
• Yao
• Shun

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Xia Dynasty 21st-16th c. bce
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Xia Dynasty 21st-16th c. bce

• First prehistoric dynasty descendants of
  Lung-Shan culture
• Urban sites, bronze implements, and tombs point
  to the existence of Xia civilization in the same
  locations cited in ancient Chinese texts
• Evolutionary stage between the late Neolithic
  cultures and the urban civilization of the Shang
  dynasty.

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HISTORIC DYNASTIES
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ANCIENT CHINA
Earliest Dynasties Xia Dynasty 21st-16th c.
bce Shang Dynasty 16th-11th c. bcefirst
writing Zhou (Chou) Dynasty1027 bc-221
bc Confucianism Taoism
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Shang Dynasty16th-11th c. bce
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Shang Dynasty

• Central Yellow River Valley
• Oldest examples of Chinese writing
• Hunters and farmers
• Brilliant bronze culture
• casting of intricate ritual vessels
• tools
• Cities
• Cheng Chow (16th c. bc)
• Anyang (C. 1384-1111 bc)

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Shang Social Organization

• City-states under the nominal rule of a high king
• Proto-feudalism.
• The area under the jurisdiction of the king quite
  probably was small, perhaps not more than 100-200
  miles in any direction from Anyang.
• Traces of a family ruling system and of
  ancestor-worship are discernible.
• Rigidly patriarchal society.

Shang Tang - the first ruling king of the Shang
dynasty
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Writing

• Oracle bones used for divination.
• A question was written on the bone, which was
  then fired and a T shaped crack was produced to
  be interpreted the interpretation was then
  written on the bone.
• After the predicted event occurred, the date of
  the occurrence was also written on the bone.

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Astronomy and Calendar

• Oracle bone with record of solar eclipse

Ox bone inscribed with a table of the Heavenly
Stems and Earthly Branches
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ZhongqiShang Bronzes

• Ritual bronze vessels
• Range from the very small and light to very large
  
• Bronze vessels are called "zhongqi" or heavy
  vessels in Chinese.

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4 Elements of Zhongqi

• Sophisticated bronze technology
• Li-qi ritual art -- used for worship, not
  utilitarian
• Restricted decoration and shape
• Shang bronze types were copied and reused later
  in Chinese history, even into the nineteenth
  century

Taotie
Middle Shang Li , 14th or 13th century BCE
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Taotie
This pattern appears on nearly all Shang bronzes,
and has been interpreted as a vague suggestion of
an animal's head. The animal is unclear, as are
many of the elements of the decoration, so it is
called zoomorphic shaped like an animal.
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Bronze Ritual Wine Vessels13th-12th c. bce
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Shang Religion

• The Shang worshipped the "Shang Ti," a supreme
  god over lesser gods
• Highly ritualized, ancestor worship
• Sacrifice to the gods and the ancestors
• When a king died, hundreds of slaves and
  prisoners were often sacrificed and buried with
  him.

Ornament of the late Shang, 7 cm high The
figurine shows the costume and headdress usually
worn by people in the Shang Dynasty
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Woman Warrior Fu Hao13th c. bce

• The tomb of Fu Hao is the only royal Shang tomb
  to have been found unlooted.  
• The floor level housed the royal corpse and most
  of the utensils and implements buried with her. 
• Below the corpse was a small pit holding the
  remains of 6 dogs, and the skeletons of 16
  humans. 
• Fu Hao was mentioned in oracle bone inscriptions
  as the consort of King Wu Ding and a general who
  participated in several campaigns. 

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Shang Tomb of Fu Hao
Excavating Fu Hao's tomb
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Objects from Fu Haos tomb
BronzeWine vessel
Jade tiger
Ivory cup
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ZHOU (CHOU) DYNASTY 1027 bc-221 bc
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Periods of Zhou Dynasty

• 771 bce -- Zhou invaded by barbarians allied with
  rebel lords king killed. Capital moved eastward
  to Luoyang in Henan Province
• Western Zhou 1027-771 bce
• Eastern Zhou 770-221 bce
• 770-476 bce Spring and Autumn Period
• 475-221 bce Warring States Period

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Zhou (Chou) Dynasty

• Introduced organized agriculture
• Feudal society
• Land grants in return for support in war and
  loyalty
• Ruler Tian or Son of Heaven
• Principal of societal relationships illustrated
  in the Book of Songs and the Book of Rituals
• Confucianism and Taoism introduced

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Zhou Jade Ornamental
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Zhou Jade Ritual

• The appearance of jade-piece masks and jade
  burial suits signalled changes in funeral customs
• Belief that jade could protect the corpse from
  decay, thereby providing the spirit with a
  "living" home.
• The pieces of this jade mask were sewn on a silk
  veil to define the facial features of the
  deceased.

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Zhou Bronzes

• Not as intricate or elaborate as Shang bronzes
• Often utilized animal shapes and motifs

Zhou bronze tigers
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Musical Instruments

• Bian zhong was the main ritual instrument played
  at sacrificial activities or feasts of
  aristocrats in the Western Zhou Dynasty.

Percussion instrument of Western Zhou, height
38.5-48 cm
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ConfuciusKung fu-tzu or Kongfuzi

• 551-479 bce
• Son of aristocrat, raised in poverty
• Itinerant teacher
• Sayings collected in The Analects
• Possibly edited The Book of Songs

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Confucian Canon of Texts

• The Book of Songs
• The Book of Documents (Shang Shu)
• The Book of Changes ( I Ching)
• rituals
• Chun-ch iu a chronicle
• The Analects
• By study and self-cultivation, individuals can
  merge their instinctive beings and their social
  beings.

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Followers of Confucius
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Confucianism

• Importance of traditional values self-control,
  filial piety, propriety, ritual
• Individual virtue leads to societal virtue
• Contextual morality -- guided by circumstances
  of a particular problem
• Obedience contingent upon benevolence

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Confucian Values

• Li propriety, ceremony, civility. 4 basic rules
  of human conduct courtesy, politeness, good
  manners, respect (reverence for age)
• Jen (Ren) respect for self and othersDo not do
  to others what you do not want done to you.
  Charity and courtesy
• Te virtue, the power of moral example as in a
  strong leader who guides by example or in the
  forces of nature
• Wen the arts of peace music, poetry, art --
  conducive to harmony and order and a model of
  excellence. Traditional Chinese art always
  strives for beauty.

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The Six Relationships
Obedience in The Six Relationships is contingent
upon the superior members observing their duty to
be benevolent and caring.
Older Friend
Ruler
Teacher
Subject
Student
YoungerFriend
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In society, the ancient principles of Confucius
formed the basis of this order, giving the
Chinese a value system of stable harmony
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Lao Tzu or Lao ZiOld Sage or OldMaster

• Born c. 604 bce
• Author of Tao te Ching or Taodejing The Way and
  Its Power
• Legendary life
• Lao Tzu means "old sage or "old boy
• Native of Ch'ü-jen, in the Honan Province.

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Just as the Chinese sought harmony in society,
they sought harmony in nature through the
philosophy of Taoism following the way of nature
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Taoist Canon

• Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching) Written supposedly
  by Lao Zi (81 chapters often divided into two
  parts)
• Book of Dao Chapter 1-37
• Book of De Chapter 38-81
• Zhuang Zi (Chuang Tzu) Written supposedly by
  Zhuang Zi (inner chapters) and others (misc and
  outer chapters)
• Hua Hu Jing Unknown author (81 chapters)
• Lie Zi Written supposedly by Lie Zi (111
  chapters)

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TAOISM

• Tao the ultimate reality behind existence, a
  transcendant essence.
• Highly individualistic and mystical character
• Existential skepticism
• Wu-wei spontaneity -- to discern and follow the
  natural forces -- to follow and shape the natural
  flow of events, not to struggle against nature
• "Both heaven and earth endure a long time. The
  cause of their endurance is their indifference to
  long life. Thus the wise man, indifferent to
  himself, is the greatest among men." 

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Yin and Yang

• Negative and positive principles of the universe.
  
• One cannot exist without the other, and they
  often represent opposites in relations to each
  other.
• As there is more and more Yang, eventually, Yin
  will appear and replace this increase. Similarly
  in the opposite direction, Yang will appear to
  replace the increase in Yin

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YIN YANG

• Negative
• Female
• Dark
• Evil
• Earth

• Positive
• Male
• Light
• Good
• Heaven

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The yin - soft, female elements- complement the
yang - hard, male elements - without
contradiction
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Lao Tzu There is nothing weaker than water but
none is superior to it in overcoming the
hardWeakness overcomes strength and gentleness
overcomes rigidity
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Three Jewels

• Compassion - leads to courage
• Moderation - leads to generosity
• Humility - leads to leadership

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The Mandate of Heaven

• The moral order of the Universe right and wrong
• Fate Life and death are beyond our control.
• The right to rule is based upon knowing and
  observing the moral order of the Universe
• The judgement of history losing the Mandate of
  Heaven results in loss of power.

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THE MANDATE OF HEAVENThe Emperor, as father to
his people, commanded obedience as long as he
ruled with wisdom and justice
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Warring States Period475-221 bce
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Qin (Chin) Dynasty 221 bce -206 bce

• First unified the country by subjugating the
  Warring States
• Established central bureaucracy
• Legalism supplanted Confucianism scholars
  persecuted and books burned
• Standardized writing, currency, weights and
  measures

Qin Shihuangdi
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Qin Building Projects

• Used forced labor of convicts and peasants
• Roads and canals
• Palaces
• Connected fortification walls to build 5000
  kilometer Great Wall

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Mausoleum of Qin Emperor ShiHuangdi (First
Emperor)

• Qin ShiHuangdis Mausoleum was discovered in 1974
  by farmers digging a well.
• The 13 year-old emperor had ordered 800,000
  workers to build his tomb.
• Terra Cotta Army
• Rebellions broke out after Emperors death in 210
  bce dynasty overthrown after only 15 years of
  rule

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PRE-HISTORICCHINA
Neolithic 12,000-2000 bce Yangshao Culture
5000-2500 bce Hongshan Culture 4700- 2900 bce
Lung-shan Culture 2500-1000 bce Xia Dynasty
21st 16th c. bce
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ANCIENT CHINA
Earliest Dynasties Xia Dynasty 21st-16th c.
bce Shang Dynasty 16th-11th c. bcefirst
writing Zhou Dynasty1027 bc-221
bc Confucianism Taoism
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CLASSICALCHINA

• Dynasties
• Qin (Chin) Dynasty
• 221 bc-206 bc
• origin of name of China
• The Han Empire
• 206 bce-220 ce