A POLYCENTRIC WORLD

(China)

 I. How do we know?

A.  Texts

1. Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.)

2.  Sima Qian (~145-85 B.C.E.)

B.  Oracle Bones

1.  turtle shells

2.  predicting the future

C.  Archaeology

-- "doubting antiquity"

II. What do we know?

A.  Earliest Villages

1.  Yangshao (~7000 B.C.E.)

-- example: Ban Po

2.  Longshan (~2500 B.C.E.)

B.  Three Early Dynasties -- built walled towns

1.  Xia (~2205 - 1766 B.C.E.)

a) kingship

b) control over water

2.  Shang (~1766 - 1122 B.C.E.)

a) network of towns

--  ruled by king's relatives

b) moving capital

--  Zhengzhou

-- Anyang

c) beliefs

-- diviners

-- bronze vessels

-- human sacrifices

3.  Zhou (~1100-256 B.C.E.)

a) from loosely governed states

-- to independent kingdoms

b) Warring States (481-221 B.C.E.)