The Chinese Neolithic: Trajectories to Early States (New Studies in Archaeology)

330 Pages·2005·6.53 MB·English

by  Li Liu

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TheChineseNeolithic
ThisbookstudiestheformationofcomplexsocietiesinprehistoricChinaduringtheNeolithic
andearlystateperiods,c.7000–1500BC.Archaeologicalmaterialsareinterpretedthrough
anthropological perspectives, using systematic analysis of settlement and burial patterns.
Bothagencyandprocessareconsideredinthedevelopmentofchiefdomsandintheemer-
gence of early states in the Yellow River region. Interrelationships between factors such as
mortuary practice, craft specialization, ritual activities, warfare, exchange of elite goods,
climaticfluctuations,andenvironmentalchangesareemphasized.Thisstudyoffersacritical
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-determinedsequence.Inthismostcomprehensivestudytodate,LiLiuattemptstore-
constructdevelopmentaltrajectoriestowardearlystatesinChinesecivilizationanddiscusses
theoreticalimplicationsofChinesearchaeologyfortheunderstandingofsocialevolution.
LI LIU isSeniorLecturerinArchaeologyatLaTrobeUniversity.Shehaspublishedvarious
articles on the Chinese Neolithic and is the author of State Formation in Early China (with
XingcanChen)(2003).
NEW STUDIES IN ARCHAEOLOGY
SeriesEditors
WendyAshmore,UniversityofPennsylvania
CliveGamble,UniversityofSouthampton
JohnO’Shea,UniversityofMichigan,AnnArbor
ColinRenfrew,UniversityofCambridge
Archaeologyhasmadeenormousadvancesreccently,bothinthevoumeofdiscoveriesandin
itscharacterasanintellectualdiscipline:newtechniqueshavehelpedtofurthertherangeand
rigouroftheinquiry,andhaveencouragedinter-disciplinarycommunication.
Theaimofthisseriesistomakeavailabletoawideraudiencetheresultsofthesedevel-
opments. The coverage is worldwide and extends from the earliest hunting and gathering
societiestohistoricalarchaeology.
Foralistoftitlesintheseriespleaseseetheendofthebook.
LI LIU
The Chinese Neolithic
Trajectories to Early States
  
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo
Cambridge University Press
The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge  , UK
Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York
www.cambridge.org
Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521811842
© Li Liu 2004
This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of
relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place
without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published in print format 2005
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- --- hardback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of
s for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book, and does not
guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
Dedicatedto
myparents,mysisters,andTomandVicky

CONTENTS
Listofillustrations pageix
Listoftables xiii
Preface xv
1 Settingthescene 1
ConstructingtheLongshancultureinarchaeology 1
Longshancultureandconstructingnationalhistory 5
EvolutionaryapproachestothestudyofLongshanculture 10
Alternativeresearchstrategies 13
Thescopeofthebook 16
2 ThechangingenvironmentalcontextsofChina’sfirst
complex societies 19
Geographicsettings 20
Reconstructionofpaleoenvironmentandculturaldevelopment 22
Conclusion 31
3 Householdsubsistenceandritual 33
Introduction 33
Householdactivities:ageneralsurvey 34
AhouseholdatKangjia 48
ImplicationsofKangjiaarchaeologicalremains 60
Conclusions 71
4 Spatialorganizationandsocialrelationsincommunities 73
Introduction 73
SpatialordersofsettlementsintheNeolithicperiod 74
SettlementorganizationinthelateNeolithicperiod 95
Discussionandconclusions 113
5 Communityburialpatterns 117
Introduction 117
AlternativeapproachestoNeolithicburialpatterns 118
Regionalvariabilityinburialpatterns 126
Discussion 151
Conclusion 157
vii
Listofcontents viii
6 Developmentanddeclineofcomplexsocietiesinthe
CentralPlains 159
Introduction 159
Methods 159
Data 161
Regionalsettlementpatterns 162
Socialcomplexityintheless-circumscribedregions 185
Settlementpatternsandsocialorganization 188
Discussionandconclusions 189
7 Developmentanddeclineofsocialcomplexitybeyond
theCentralPlains 192
Introduction 192
RegionalsettlementpatternsinShandong 193
RegionalsettlementpatternsinCentralShaanxi 208
Settlementpatternsandsocialorganization:acomparison 219
Discussionandconclusions 221
8 Trajectoriestowardearlystates 223
Introduction:fromchiefdomstostates 223
TheErlitouculture–searchingfortheXiadynasty 226
TheProto-Shangculture 236
Conclusions 238
9 Reconstructingsocialprocesses 239
Introduction 239
Developmentofsocialhierarchyandintegration 239
Dynamicsofsocialchange 246
Conclusionsandfurtherresearchquestions 251
Notes 254
Appendixes 256
References 275
Index 301