Legends, History, Archaeology, and Paleoastronomy,

1. Legends, History, Archaeology, and Paleoastronomy,

2. Myths • World uncreated – no creator god • Nü Gua • Pangu • Yellow Emperor • Yao, Shun, Yü • Heavenly archer Yi • Queen Mother of the West-

3. Nü Gua • Primeval Goddess of unknown origin • Myth: made many transformations • Created humans from yellow earth, clay, mud • Several hierarchical categories • Noble – yellow earth • People – clay • Slaves - mud

4. Pan Gu • First born human • Myth much later than Nü gua • Separation of heavens from earth • Pangu – giant born from an egg • Went through nine transformations • His body, arms and legs, became the dry earth

5. Yellow Emperor • Warrior god • Fought against evil emperors and monsters • Became major deity in Daoism • Yellow – most auspicious color associated with Earth, agriculture • Very powerful, benign, auspicious

6. Three Sage Emperors • Yao, Shun, and Yü • Yao passed over own sons to appoint Shun • Shun chosen for virtue • Shun passed over own sons to appoint Yü • as successor • Yü the great controlled the waters

7. Yao • First sage emperor in mythic Golden Age • Exemplar of virtue • Protected the people • Sent archer Yi to shoot down 9 suns • Rejected own sons • Selected Shun as his successor

8. Ten suns and magical archer Yi • Ten suns arose each day • Scorched the earth • So heavenly archer Yi sent to shoot down nine suns • Associated with totem of Black Bird w/ 3 legs • Single sun came up ten times in a row • Chinese week – ten days

10. Shun • Shun came of lowly birth • Yao gave him his two daughters as wives • Invented agriculture • exemplar of virtue • Passed over own sons in favor of Yü

11. Yü the great • Flood myth • Yü • received divine favor • Created dams • Channeled the waters • Water for irrigation • Vanquished the storm god • Cast nine cauldrons

12. Archaeology • Modern science • Began in China in 1930s with European advisors • Europeans stole as much as they helped out • Uncovered early Paleolithic sites • Found the Shang city of Anyang and graves of last 12 kings of Shang • Confirms historical record

13. Archaeological discoveries • Paleolithic hunter gathers sites • Early settlements – agriculture • Xia dynasty sites • Shang graves – names and sequence of kings matched the ancient lists • New discoveries: warrior empress Fu Hao

14. Examples of other archaeological discoveries • Early hunter-gather villages • Xia dynasty towns • Shang dynasty capital city • Shang kings and Lady Fu Hao

15. Terra cotta soldiers • City of Chang’an • Capital at Kaifeng • Ming dynasty discoveries • Right up until present times

16. Neolithic Period • Most of what we know of the Neolithic period is due to archaeological excavations: • Yangshao Culture at Banpo • Early ceramic technology

17. Banpo site

18. Yangshao Culture

19. Longshan culture Small towns Reducing kilns Use of pottery wheel

20. Shang Dynasty

21. Qin Dynasty – Terra Cotta Soldiers

24. Tang Dynasty Tomb

26. Dancing horses of Emperor Ming Huang (c. 756)

27. Paleo-astronomy • Newest technological development • Computer generated maps of past night skies • Three crucial dates from early histories • Foundation of Xia (c. 1950 B.C.E.) • Foundation of Shang (c. 1500 B.C. E.) • Foundation of Zhou (c. 1020/1045 B.C.E.)

28. Alignment of Planets 1953 BCE Xia

29. Alignment of planets 1576 B.C. Shang

30. Alignment of planets 1059 BCE Zhou mandate

31. Mandate from Heaven • Walking stars as omen to establish Xia c. 1953 B.C.E. • Gathering of planets as a sign to overthrow Xia, establish Shang c. 1500 B.C.E. • Gathering of planets as a sign to overthrow Shang, establish Zhou c. 1044 B.C.E. • Most important political principle in Chinese History • “Mandate of Heaven” Government