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Environment Processes of Urban Development in China Longshan Period Xia Period Shang Period

Cities of Ancient China. Environment Processes of Urban Development in China Longshan Period Xia Period Shang Period Zhou Period Ancestor Veneration and Leadership in early China Shang Period v. Zhou Period cities Comparative review of Cases: Mesopotamia, Egypt, China.

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Environment Processes of Urban Development in China Longshan Period Xia Period Shang Period

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  1. Cities of Ancient China • Environment • Processes of Urban Development in China • Longshan Period • Xia Period • Shang Period • Zhou Period • Ancestor Veneration and Leadership in early China • Shang Period v. Zhou Period cities • Comparative review of Cases: Mesopotamia, Egypt, China

  2. Cultural Timeline of Early Dynasties of China

  3. China’s Loess Plateau

  4. One of the largest and deepest loess • deposits in the world is in north-central China. • Loess • loose soil • erodes easily • produces fertile soils

  5. China’s Loess Plateau and the Extent of Early States An Yang Zhengzhou

  6. Bronze Sphere

  7. Rammed Earth Construction • Loess soils • Compacted soil into large bricks

  8. Royal Ceremonial Centers • Planned cities • Ideologically-based layout • (Feng shui)

  9. Cultural Timeline of Early Dynasties of China

  10. Long-shan Period • Chiefdom-level organization • (formal social ranking; variation in graves) • Large-scale agricultural production • Early metal production and Scapulimancy • Large-scale structures (organized labor) • ↑ Interaction and Warfare

  11. Cultural Timeline of Early Dynasties of China

  12. Xia Period: First Ceremonial Centers • Chiefdom-level political organization • Appearance of large-scale religious architecture • More diverse craft production • Increasing in Bronze production • Continued scapulimancy • Erh-li-t’ou 2100-1800 B.C. (375 hectares) • No walls

  13. Xia Period Ceremonial Center (Erh-li-t’ou)

  14. Xia ceremonial center and surrounding communities.

  15. Cultural Timeline of Early Dynasties of China

  16. Shang Period: Urban Genesis • Cities first appear (not true cities to Shen 1994) • 1700-1100 BC • Monumental architecture • (walled palaces and temples) • Highly specialized bronze production • Craft production increases sharply • Population increase • Growth of stratified society • Royal cemeteries and ostentatious • graves • Coalescence of state-level political • organization • Writing (scapulimancy) • “Bureaucratic” approach?

  17. Shang Period Ceremonial Center and Surrounding Communities (For example, Ao)

  18. Shang Period Royal Tombs • Copper and Chariots • Human and Animal Sacrifice • 7000 person-days to construct each • Conspicuous Consumption

  19. Shang Period Production: Luxury Goods • Focused heavily on bronze • Ritual associations

  20. Shang Period Ceremonial Center and Associated Communities

  21. Cultural Timeline of Early Dynasties of China

  22. Zhou Period: “True” Cities? • Greatest increase in urban population • Technological and economic shifts • Increased warfare • Continued state-level organization (contra Andrews 1995)

  23. Zhou Period: Utilitarian Goods • Ongoing production of luxury goods • Introduction of new technologies • irrigation • iron smelting • Increased production of Utilitarian • items • farming tools • weapons

  24. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/july-18-2008/sweeping-the-graves/29/http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/july-18-2008/sweeping-the-graves/29/

  25. Defining Social Relations: a crash course • Nuclear family • most basic unit of social organization • corresponds to archaeological “households” • non-permanent • Descent Groups • trace common descent among • groups of nuclear families. • Lineagesidentify a common • apical ancestor (e.g., Biblical • House of David, British Monarchy) • Clans claim common ancestry, • to real or mythological (e.g., modern • Chinese clans based on shared • place of origin/ancient village; NW • Coast Native American animal • totems.)

  26. Religious/Ideological Power • Ancestor Veneration • Based on belief that deceased continue to influence living • Involves religious worship of ancestors • Ensures the continuity of the ancestors’ well-being • Ensures benevolence of ancestors toward living

  27. Religious/Ideological Power • Ancestor Veneration as a source of Power • Lineage: line of descendents from an identified common ancestor • Ruler responsible for Royal Lineage – affects whole population • Ruler as Patriarch (remains a cultural trait in China)

  28. Ancestor Veneration: Scapulimancy • Derive meaning from heat-induced cracks in bones • Consultation with the ancestors • Source of prestige and power for early leaders • Basis of Divine Kingship for later leaders • Basis of early writing Oracle Bone Oracle Bone

  29. Shen 1994: When do cities first appear in China? • Shang Period: socio-cultural “revolution” • Ceremonial centers arise • Highly specialized production of wealth items • Walled settlements • ceremonial centers with closely associated villages • Zhou Period: technological “revolution” • Increased and added production • iron • irrigation • Workshops become focus of the city • Ceremonial center is “infiltrated” by workshops • Increases in population

  30. Qufu

  31. During which period do you think Chinese culture became “urban”?

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