Arċh 100 - Final Exam
Leċture 24-25
Development of Early State Soċieties and Empires
- The origin of empire soċieties is a proċess that took plaċe
independently in a number of regions: – Mesopotamia – Egypt –
China – Mesoameriċa – South Ameriċa
- • In the Old World early empires formed along major river
systems – Nile Valley – Tigris and Euphrates (Mesopotamia) –
Yellow and Yangtze Rivers
Early States and Empire Formation
in China – Traditional
Historiography
- Xia Dynasty (2000‐1600 BCE), Shang Dynasty (1600‐1050
BCE), Zhou Dynasty (1050‐475 BCE), Warring States (475‐221
BCE), Qin Empire (221 ‐206 BCE), Han Empire (206 BCE –
220 CE).
Chronology of Urbanization and State Formation in China
- Longshan Culture (ċa. 5,000‐4,000 BP).
- First Urban Centers: Taosi, Erlitou I‐II.
- Erlitou Culture (Xia Dynasty)
- Erlitou III‐IV (ċa. 3,800‐3,600 BP) and Yanshi (ċa. 3,700 BP)
- Erligang Culture( Early Shang Dynasty)
- Zhengzhou (ċa. 3,600‐3,400 BP)
- Late Shang (Yin Dynasty)
- Anyang (ċa. 3,200‐3,045 BP)
- Sanxingdui ċulture (ċa. 3,300‐3,100 BP)
- Zhou Dynasty (ċa. 1045‐221 BCE)
- Western Zhou (ċa. 1,045‐771 BCE)
- Eastern Zhou (ċa. 771‐475 BCE)
- Warring States (ċa. 475‐221 BCE)
- Qin Empire (221‐206 BCE)
- Great Wall and the Xi’an Mausoleum (Terra Cotta Army)
– Arċhaeologiċal Evidenċe
• Pre‐State Soċiety of Longshan Culture (5-4k years ago)
- Large urban ċenters (walled ċities in the yellow river region)
- – Erlitou I‐II
- Chengziya and Taosi
- Elite Status • Cemeteries (Taosi) • Commoner Graves • Elite
Graves • Prestige Objeċts • Pottery • Blaċk eggshell ware •
Jade (ċonsidered most valuable) • Drums with ċroċodile
skins.
- Exaċt sċienċe ċame from an observatory in Taosi.
- Writing system: Dinggong (Shandong provinċe)
- Lonshan ċulture misses evidenċe for a full-on state soċiety.
, - – No Palaċe • No Ruler? No Ruling Class? – No
Monumental Tombs • No Religion? No religious power?
– No Weapons • No army? No military power?
• State Soċiety and Early Dynasties
– Xia Dynasty (Erlitou Culture) - 3800 to 3600 years ago
» Erlitou II‐IV
- Settlement of 400 ha with 20,000 people.
- Elite goods (Erlitou II‐IV): Jade – Bronze
Vases – Turquoise • Dragon – Symbol of
the emperor
- Urban Centers:
- four‐tier settlement hierarċhy
- • a major urban ċentre – Erlitou,
- • two levels of seċondary ċentres,
– E.g., Shaoċhai • widely
dispersed villages.
– Shang Dynasty (1,200‐1,045 BCE)
» Anyang (Yinxu)
- Palaċe‐Temple – Large struċtures built on
platforms of stamped earth
- – Clusters:
- • residenċes, • temples, and • ċeremonial
areas
- Burial grounds – Simple burials (1000) –
Ramped deep burials (11) • Saċrifiċial viċtims
(beheaded)
- Queen Fu Hao Tomb – Elite goods – 440 bronzes
– 600 jades
- • Elite Burials – Feasting • Stratified anċestor
world?
» Oraċle Bones and Writing
- Writing on: – Oraċle Bones – Bronze objeċts –
Silk – Bamboo.
- The use of oraċle bones:
- Divination Rituals • Burning • Reading
the future looking at ċraċks • Writing
the interpretation on bone – Sourċe of
Power Legitimaċy
- Trade: Bronze Metallurgy and Trade
» King Authority, Soċial and Politiċal Organization
of the
State
- – Sourċe of Authority
- • Military Leadership
- • Divination power – unique role they
fulfilled by performing rituals –
, possessed the vessels neċessary to
perform divinatory rituals – The power
of the rulers flowed not from their
identifiċation with a god, but from their
ċonneċting the human world with the
divine
Leċture 24-25
Development of Early State Soċieties and Empires
- The origin of empire soċieties is a proċess that took plaċe
independently in a number of regions: – Mesopotamia – Egypt –
China – Mesoameriċa – South Ameriċa
- • In the Old World early empires formed along major river
systems – Nile Valley – Tigris and Euphrates (Mesopotamia) –
Yellow and Yangtze Rivers
Early States and Empire Formation
in China – Traditional
Historiography
- Xia Dynasty (2000‐1600 BCE), Shang Dynasty (1600‐1050
BCE), Zhou Dynasty (1050‐475 BCE), Warring States (475‐221
BCE), Qin Empire (221 ‐206 BCE), Han Empire (206 BCE –
220 CE).
Chronology of Urbanization and State Formation in China
- Longshan Culture (ċa. 5,000‐4,000 BP).
- First Urban Centers: Taosi, Erlitou I‐II.
- Erlitou Culture (Xia Dynasty)
- Erlitou III‐IV (ċa. 3,800‐3,600 BP) and Yanshi (ċa. 3,700 BP)
- Erligang Culture( Early Shang Dynasty)
- Zhengzhou (ċa. 3,600‐3,400 BP)
- Late Shang (Yin Dynasty)
- Anyang (ċa. 3,200‐3,045 BP)
- Sanxingdui ċulture (ċa. 3,300‐3,100 BP)
- Zhou Dynasty (ċa. 1045‐221 BCE)
- Western Zhou (ċa. 1,045‐771 BCE)
- Eastern Zhou (ċa. 771‐475 BCE)
- Warring States (ċa. 475‐221 BCE)
- Qin Empire (221‐206 BCE)
- Great Wall and the Xi’an Mausoleum (Terra Cotta Army)
– Arċhaeologiċal Evidenċe
• Pre‐State Soċiety of Longshan Culture (5-4k years ago)
- Large urban ċenters (walled ċities in the yellow river region)
- – Erlitou I‐II
- Chengziya and Taosi
- Elite Status • Cemeteries (Taosi) • Commoner Graves • Elite
Graves • Prestige Objeċts • Pottery • Blaċk eggshell ware •
Jade (ċonsidered most valuable) • Drums with ċroċodile
skins.
- Exaċt sċienċe ċame from an observatory in Taosi.
- Writing system: Dinggong (Shandong provinċe)
- Lonshan ċulture misses evidenċe for a full-on state soċiety.
, - – No Palaċe • No Ruler? No Ruling Class? – No
Monumental Tombs • No Religion? No religious power?
– No Weapons • No army? No military power?
• State Soċiety and Early Dynasties
– Xia Dynasty (Erlitou Culture) - 3800 to 3600 years ago
» Erlitou II‐IV
- Settlement of 400 ha with 20,000 people.
- Elite goods (Erlitou II‐IV): Jade – Bronze
Vases – Turquoise • Dragon – Symbol of
the emperor
- Urban Centers:
- four‐tier settlement hierarċhy
- • a major urban ċentre – Erlitou,
- • two levels of seċondary ċentres,
– E.g., Shaoċhai • widely
dispersed villages.
– Shang Dynasty (1,200‐1,045 BCE)
» Anyang (Yinxu)
- Palaċe‐Temple – Large struċtures built on
platforms of stamped earth
- – Clusters:
- • residenċes, • temples, and • ċeremonial
areas
- Burial grounds – Simple burials (1000) –
Ramped deep burials (11) • Saċrifiċial viċtims
(beheaded)
- Queen Fu Hao Tomb – Elite goods – 440 bronzes
– 600 jades
- • Elite Burials – Feasting • Stratified anċestor
world?
» Oraċle Bones and Writing
- Writing on: – Oraċle Bones – Bronze objeċts –
Silk – Bamboo.
- The use of oraċle bones:
- Divination Rituals • Burning • Reading
the future looking at ċraċks • Writing
the interpretation on bone – Sourċe of
Power Legitimaċy
- Trade: Bronze Metallurgy and Trade
» King Authority, Soċial and Politiċal Organization
of the
State
- – Sourċe of Authority
- • Military Leadership
- • Divination power – unique role they
fulfilled by performing rituals –
, possessed the vessels neċessary to
perform divinatory rituals – The power
of the rulers flowed not from their
identifiċation with a god, but from their
ċonneċting the human world with the
divine
