Introduction: What Is Early Chinese History? (original) (raw)

Introduction and Background to The Oxford Handbook on Early China

The Oxford Handbook of Early China

The volume, The Oxford Handbook on Early China, offers a rich assembly of pioneering research on pre-imperial China. The study is a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach focused on the period before the establishment of imperial rule, encompassing the whole span of time from the Neolithic through Eastern Zhou eras, ca. 5000–250 bce. Our approach is multidisciplinary in encompassing fields ranging from archaeology, anthropology, art history, architecture, metallurgy, literature, religion, paleography, cosmology, prehistory, to history. This interdisciplinary perspective of 33 authors profoundly enhances our understanding of early China and its cultural achievements in multiple directions.

Chinese History Paper #2 (2).docx

Final Paper for East Asian Civilization: China, wherein I discuss the cultural and ethnic evolution of dynastic China between the Song and Qing dynasties.

Early Chinese Texts: A Bibliographical Guide (review)

China Review International, 1996

This book is best used in conjunction with three copies of a text that is under study; one of these should best derive from a traditional edition, and one should be a reputable modern print, with punctuation, but without the use of simplified characters; a third copy should be from one of the Japanese series of editions. Readers should also refer to the textual notes of Professor D. C. Lau that are available in the concordances published by the Institute of Chinese Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. (Preface, p. xii) Following these straightforward injunctions and consulting the book under review, one will avoid most if not all of the potential pitfalls that have hitherto scared off members of the wider sinological community from the Classics. Early © 1996 by University Chinese Texts performs the invaluable service of guiding the reader to the editions ofHawai i Pressto^6 use¿^as we]i as t0 relevant secondary literature; and it provides reliable information regarding the nature, history, and authenticity of each individual text. As such, it will prove tremendously useful for China scholars at large.