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Early China Resource List - Part III: Archaeology and Artifacts (Eastern Zhou to Han)

Hi everyone,

Following up on our previous post, this third part of our comprehensive bibliography series covers the second half of our Archaeology and Artifacts section.

While Part II looked at the time from the Neolithic until the End of the Western Zhou 西周 (771 BC), Part III looks at the time from the Eastern Zhou 東周 (770-221 BC) until the Fall of the Han 漢 Dynasty (220 AD). This list also tries to highlight the regional cultures of the Eastern Zhou period and works covering the different regional states, because such scholarship is difficult to find on ones own.

Here is the complete, unabridged list of academic works for these eras from our curated resource list:

1. General Archaeology & Overviews

Introductions to the Archaeology of the Eastern Zhou to Han Period, broad historical studies, and essential historical cartography:

- Li, Xueqin (1985): Eastern Zhou and Qin Civilizations. Translated by K.C. Chang. New Haven: Yale University Press.

- Loewe, Michael and Edward L. Shaughnessy (Ed.) (1999): The Cambridge History of Ancient China: From the Origins of Civilization to 221 BC. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

- Twitchett, Denis and Michael Loewe (Ed.) (1986): The Cambridge History of China, Volume 1: The Ch'in and Han Empires, 221 B.C.–A.D. 220. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

- Zhongguo shehui kexueyuan kaogu yanjiusuo 中国社会科学院考古研究所 (2004): Zhongguo kaoguxue: liang Zhou juan 中国考古学·两周卷. Beijing: Zhongguo shehui kexue chubanshe.

- Zhongguo shehui kexueyuan kaogu yanjiusuo 中国社会科学院考古研究所 (2010): Zhongguo kaoguxue: Qin Han juan 中国考古学·秦汉卷. Beijing: Zhongguo shehui kexue chubanshe.

- Tan, Qixiang 谭其骧 (Ed.) (1982): Zhongguo lishi ditu ji 中国历史地图集 – Di yi ce: Yuanshi shehui, Xia, Shang, Xi Zhou, Chunqiu, Zhanguo shiqi 第一冊 原始社會、夏、商、西周、春秋、戰國時期. Beijing: Zhongguo ditu chubanshe.

- Tan, Qixiang 谭其骧 (Ed.) (1982): Zhongguo lishi ditu ji 中国历史地图集 – Di er ce: Qin shiqi, Xi Han, Dong Han shiqi 第二冊 秦、西漢、東漢時期. Beijing: Zhongguo ditu chubanshe.

- Liu, Xinglin 劉興林 (2019): Zhanguo Qin Han kaogu 戰國秦漢考古. Nanjing: Nanjing Daxue Chubanshe.

- Thatcher, Melvin P. (1977/78): A Structural Comparison of the Central Governments of Ch'u, Ch'in, and Chin; in: Monumenta Serica 33, 140-61.

- Xu, Hong 许宏 (2021): Dynamic Interpretation of Cities in Ancient China. Singapore: Springer.

- Falkenhausen, Lothar von (2006): Chinese Society in the Age of Confucius (1000–250 BC): The Archaeological Evidence. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press.

- Meyer, Andrew Seth (2026): To Rule All under Heaven. A History of Classical China, from Confucius to the First Emperor. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

- Gu, Derong 顧德融 and Zhu Shunlong 朱順龍 (2001): Chunqiu shi 春秋史. Shanghai: Shiji Press.

2. Eastern Zhou 東周 Dynasty (770 BC - 256 BC) and their Regional Cultures

Specialized regional archaeology exploring the distinct cultural identities, lineages, and material frameworks of the Warring States and frontier regions:

2.1 Chu 楚 Culture

- Cook, Constance A. and John S. Major (Ed.) (1999): Defining Chu: Image and Reality in Ancient China. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.

- Lawton, Thomas (Ed.) (1991): New Perspectives on Chu Culture during the Eastern Zhou Period. Washington D.C.: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

- Zhang, Zhengming 張正明 (1987): Chu wenhua shi 楚文化史. Shanghai: Shanghai renmin chubanshe.

- Yang, Quanxi 杨权喜 (2000): Chu wenhua 楚文化. Beijing: Wenwu chubanshe.

- Höllmann, Thomas O. (1986): Jinan. Die Chu-Hauptstadt Ying im China der Späteren Zhou-Zeit. AVA 41. München: C.H. Beck.

2.2 The Sanjin 三晉 (Zhao 趙, Wei 魏, Han 韓) and the State of Jin 晉

- Zhang, Weilian (张渭莲) and Duan Hongzhen (段宏振) (2024): Jin wenhua fenliu de bei xi: Dongzhou Zhao guo kaoguxue wenhua 晋文化分流的北系：东周赵国考古学文化. Beijing: Zhongguo Shehui Kexue Chubanshe.

- Duan, Hongzhen 段宏振 (2009): Zhao du Handan cheng yanjiu 赵都邯郸城研究. Beijing: Wenwu chubanshe.

- Zhongguo kexueyuan kaogu yanjiusuo 中國科學院考古研究所 (1956): Huixian fajue baogao 辉县发掘报告. Beijing: Kexue Chubanshe.

2.3 The State of Qi 齊 and the State of Zhongshan 中山

- Wu, Xiaolong (2017): Material Culture, Power, and Identity in Ancient China: The Late Western Zhou and Eastern Zhou Jade and Bronze from Zhongshan. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

- Shandong sheng wenwu kaogu yanjiusuo 山东省文物考古研究所 / Shandong sheng wenwu kaogu yanjiuyuan 山东省文物考古研究院 (Ed.) (2007–2019): Linzi Qi mu 临淄齐墓. 3 Volumes. Beijing: Wenwu Chubanshe.

- Shandong sheng wenwu kaogu yanjiusuo 山东省文物考古研究所 (2013): Linzi Qi gucheng 临淄齐故城. Beijing: Wenwu chubanshe.

2.4 The State of Yan 燕

- Peng, Hua 彭华 (2018): Yan guo ba bai nian 燕国八百年. Beijing: Zhonghua Shuju.

- Takehiko Ishikawa 石川岳彦 (2017): Shunju Sengoku jidai Enkoku no kōkogaku 春秋戦国時代 燕国の考古学. Tokyo: Yuzankaku.

2.5 Ba-Shu 巴蜀 Culture and Ancient Sichuan 四川

- Sage, Steven F. (1992): Ancient Sichuan and the Unification of China. Albany: State University of New York Press.

- Xu, Zhongshu 徐中舒 (1987): Ba-Shu kaogu lunwenji 巴蜀考古论文集. Beijing: Wenwu Chubanshe.

- Duan, Yu 段渝 (2011): Chengdu Tongshi (Gushu Shiqi) 成都通史（古蜀时期）. Chengdu: Sichuan Renmin Chubanshe.

- Zhang, Yujun 章玉钧 and Tan, Jihe 谭继和 (Ed.) (2024): Ba-Shu wenhua tongshi 巴蜀文化通史. 22 volumes. Chengdu: Sichuan Renmin Chubanshe.

2.6 The Wu 吳 and Yue 越 Cultures

- Brindley, Erica Fox (2015): Ancient China and the Yue: Perceptions and Identities on the Southern Frontier, c. 400 BC–50 AD. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

- Ye, Wenxian 叶文宪 (2007): Wu guo lishi yu Wu wenhua tanmi 吴国历史与吴文化探秘. Beijing: Wenwu Chubanshe 文物出版社.

- Milburn, Olivia (2015): Cherishing Antiquity: The Cultural Construction of an Ancient Chinese Kingdom. Cambridge: Harvard University Asia Center.

3. The Qin 秦 Dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC)

The material culture of early imperial unification, terracotta production, and Western frontier transitions:

- Pines, Yuri, Gideon Shelach, Lothar von Falkenhausen and Robin D.S. Yates (Ed.) (2014): Birth of an Empire: The State of Qin Revisited. Berkeley: University of California Press.

- Portal, Jane (Ed.) (2007): The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army. London: British Museum Press.

- Bodde, Derk (1967): China's First Unifier: A Study of the Ch'in Dynasty as Seen in the Life of Li Ssu (280?–208 B.C.). Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.

- Duan, Qingbo 段清波 (2011): Qin Shihuangdi lingyuan kaogu yanjiu 秦始皇帝陵园考古研究. Beijing: Beijing Daxue Chubanshe.

- Wang, Xueli 王学理 (Ed.) (1994): Qin wuzhi wenhua shi 秦物质文化史. Xi'an: Sanqin Chubanshe.

- Zhao, Huacheng 赵化成 (2023): Zhou Qin Han kaogu yanjiu 周秦汉考古研究. Shanghai: Shanghai Guji Chubanshe.

- Zhao, Huacheng 赵化成 (2025): Qin yu Rong: Qin wenhua yu Xi Rong wenhua de kaoguxue tansuo 秦与戎:秦文化与西戎文化的考古学探索. Beijing: Wenwu Chubanshe.

- Thatcher: Melvin P. (1985): Central Government of the State of Ch'in in the Spring and Autumn Period, in: Journal of Oriental Studies (Hongkong) 23.1 (1985), 29-53.

4. The Han 漢 Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD)

The consolidation of the early empire, elite monumental tombs, art ideology, and provincial administration:

- Wang, Zhongshu (1982): Han Civilization. Translated by K.C. Chang. New Haven: Yale University Press.

- Nickel, Lukas (2011): Gräber der Han-Zeit in Luoyang. Münchener Ostasiatische Studien 83. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag.

- Jie, Shi (2020): Modeling Peace. Royal Tombs and Political Ideology in Early China. New York: Columbia University Press.

-Millison, Allison R. (2020): Kingly Splendor. Court Art and Materiality in Han China. New York: Columbia University Press.

-Xiong, Zhaoming and Fu Xia (2022): Hepu Han Tombs. Translated by Michèle H. S. Demandt. Singapore: Springer.

- Elias, Hajni (2025): Remembrance in Clay and Stone. Early Memorial and Funerary Art of Southwest China. New York: Columbia University Press.

- Chen, Li (2018): Han Dynasty (206 BC–AD 220). Stone Carved Tombs in Central and Eastern China. Oxford: Archaeopress.

\- Note: You can find Chen Lis book for free on the Archaeopress website as a PDF if interested.

- Wu, Hung (1989): The Wu Liang Shrine: The Ideology of Early Chinese Pictorial Art. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

- de Crespigny, Rafe (2016): Fire over Luoyang: A History of the Later Han Dynasty 23–220 AD. Sinica Leidensia, Vol. 134. Leiden and Boston: Brill.

- Yao, Alice and Wengcheong Lam (2024): The Archaeology of Han China. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

-Psarras, Sophia-Karrin (2015): Han Material Culture. An Archaeological Analysis and Vessel Typology. Cambidge: Cambridge University Press.

- Xu, Weimin 徐卫民 and Zhang Yuan 张渊 (2024): Qin Han di ling zhidu yanjiu 秦漢帝陵制度研究. Shanghai: Guji chubanshe.

In Part IV, we will finally leave the Archaeology section behind and move on to Section (II): Texts and Philology, covering in the first part general introductions to Classical Chinese Philology, Editions and Translations. In the second part of the philology section (which will be part V overall) we will focus on Textual Criticism (jiaochouxue 校讎學), Traditional Scholarship and Authentification Studies (bianweixue 辨偽學) as well as Fragmentology (jiyixue 輯佚學)

Let us know in the comments below which of these regional cultures (e.g., Chu, Ba-Shu, Qi, or the frontier Yue kingdoms) fascinates you the most or matches your current research focus!

Also let us know if you have any more recommendations for books.

Yours sincerely,
The r/EarlyChina-Mods

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u/LarsPiano — 12 hours ago
▲ 65 r/EarlyChina+2 crossposts

The Stone Drums of Qin 秦石鼓: Aspects of one of Chinas most important Artifacts.

Hi everyone,

While we are preparing the upcoming parts of our comprehensive resource list, today we want to show you an interesting piece that bridges all aspects of Early China: material culture, paleography, and textual criticism: the famous Stone Drums of Qin 秦石鼓.

Originally they were discovered near Fengxiang 鳳翔 in Shaanxi 陝西 Province during the 7th Century in the Tang 唐 Dynasty (618-906 AD). The ten boulders each vary in height (from 73 cm to 87.5 cm) and in diameter (56 to 80.1 cm), but each of them weighs around 400 kg. Today they are housed at the Palace Museum 故宮博物院 in Beijing 北京.

On the Ten Boulders are inscribed 10 songs, totally numbering around 700 characters (however only 501 characters where visible during the Song 宋 Dynasty (960-1279 AD) and only 272 today). These songs are about royal hunting and fishing activities of the State of Qin 秦.

What is also interesting to note is the correspondence between the Poems on the drums and the poems in the Shijing 詩經 (this also has interesting implications for linguistic studies, as we will show later). Each of the poems on the Stone Drums is arranged in columns and each line contains four characters (called siyan 四言), thus matching the gushi古詩-sytle of Poetry often found in the Shijing. The greatest resemblance can be probably found in the Xiaoya 小雅 and Daya 大雅 sections. Therefore they are also often called shigushi 石鼓詩 "Poems on Stone Drums".

They have also have fascinated scholars ever since their discovery as is shown for example by the poem Du Fu 杜甫 (712-770 AD) wrote about them or that Jinshixue 金石學 - beginning in the Song Dynasty - was named that way because of the Stone Drums (as shi 石 means "Stone").

Modern Scholarhip on the Stone Drums relies heavily on Rubbings 拓本 of their inscriptions because of their now damaged state.

For over a millennium, they have fascinated, perplexed, and driven paleographers and scholars to think more about them and discover their secrets.

1. Script

The script on the boulders is also particularly noteworthy. It represents what the Shuowen Jiezi 说文解字 calls Zhouwen 籀文 or Dazhuan 大篆 script, which is (regarding script "evolution") one of the two branches coming out of Bronze Script 金文 (so Qin script vs Script of the six States 六国古文). Later this script provided the foundation for the standardization of writing (221 BC) under the Qin 秦 dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC), using the Small seal script 小篆. It must be noted however that the script on the drums themselves is often called shiguwen 石鼓文 "Writing on Stone Drums".

2. Dating

Dating the Stone Drums is a difficult topic. Because the texts do not name any specific historical rulers, dating them has been one of the most fiercely contested battlegrounds in the history of chinese epigraphy and palaeography:

- Scholars during the Tang Dynasty thought that the Stone Drums date to the Time of King Xuan of Zhou 周宣王 (827 - 782 BC) and point to the connection with the Scribe Zhou 史籀, who worked at his court according to the Shiji 史記 and traditional sources (for this see for example the earliest commentator on the Stones Su Xu 蘇勖 (fl. 642)). It became clear at the heyday of Jinshi Studies during the Song Dynasty for scholars like Ouyang Xiu 歐陽修(1007-1072), that the Stone Drums must date later to the early dukes of Qin.

- During the 20th-century, prominent paleographers like Wang Guowei 王國維 (1877-1927) and Guo Moruo 郭沫若 (1892-1978) systematically studied and focused the dating. By comparing them palaeographically to bronzes from the Chunqiu- and Zhanguo periods it became clear that they must date during the Eastern Zhou, most likely either late Spring and Autumn or Early Warring States, so 5th and 4th Century BC. Guo Moruos work is especially noteworthy as his 1936 Shiguwen yanjiu 石鼓文研究 was one of the greatest Studies in the 20th century on the topic of the Stone Drums.

- However even then scholarly opinions diverge. The most authoritative western Study on the Stone Drums of Qin is Gilbert Mattos 1988 monograph The Stone Drums of Ch'in. Mattos dates the Stone Drums to the 5th Century BC. However chinese palaeographer Chen Zhaorong 陳昭容 dates them to the 6th Century BC based on the similarities in palaeography between the Stone Drums and the Script on the Qin Gong Gui 秦公簋. As an additional reference she also cites a stone chime and the Gui as well as the chime can be dated to the reign of Duke Jing of Qin 秦景公 (576-537 BC).

3. Why they matter for Old Chinese Linguistics

For historical phonology the Stone Drums provide additional information on the rhyme categories 韻部 of Old Chinese besides the usually used Shijing, Xiesheng 諧聲-Series and literature on Middle Chinese because of it's great similarities with the Shijing and rhymed nature in general. Therefore it can help to take them into account and not focus solely on the "usual suspects" when working on Old Chinese phonology (which the good ones like Baxter/Sagart obviously do to enrich their research). It can be also interesting when researching the Qin dialect in particular, although reconstructing Old Chinese dialects is a daunting task, because we have the oldest dictionary recording spoken dialects only from the Han 漢 Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) (Yang Xiongs 楊雄 (53 BC - 18 AD) Fangyan 方言).

It is also interesting to observe just how much poetic expression has already set foot in China since its first appearance was in the bronze inscriptions of the Western Zhou (1045 - 771 BC) period, which the prominent German Linguist and Philologist Wolfgang Behr has studied intensively in his 1997 doctoral dissertation Reimende Bronzeinschriften und die Entstehung der chinesischen Endreimdichtung.

Let’s Discuss!

  1. Regarding the Chronology: Where do you stand on the dating of the Shigu? Do you align with the early Warring States hypothesis based on structural script simplification, or do you favor an late Spring and Autumn dating based on the Shijing-style vocabulary?
  2. Methodological Question: When working with highly eroded texts like the Shigu, how much weight do you place on northern Dazhuan variant-dictionaries (like the Shuowen Jiezi 說文解字) versus direct structural comparison with excavated Qin inscriptions (like the Qin Gong Zhong 秦公鐘)?
  3. What are your go-to reference editions for studying the Shigu? (e.g., Gilbert L. Mattos' (1988) monograph, or Guo Moruos studies?)

Looking forward to hearing your insights and paleographical perspectives!

Yours sincerely,
The r/EarlyChina-Mods

u/LarsPiano — 2 days ago
▲ 8 r/EarlyChina

Early China Resource List – Part II: Archaeology & Artifacts (Neolithic to Western Zhou)

Hi everyone,

Following up on our general introduction to the field, this second post of our comprehensive bibliography series covers the full material culture, excavations, and artifacts from the prehistoric roots up to the collapse of the Western Zhou (771 BC).

Here is the complete, unabridged list of academic works for these eras from our curated resource list:

1. General Archaeology

Monumental standard references and chronological frameworks for the entire field:

- Loewe, Michael and Edward L. Shaughnessy (Ed.) (1999): The Cambridge History of Ancient China: From the Origins of Civilization to 221 BC. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

- Chang, Kwang-chih (1986): The Archaeology of Ancient China. New Haven: Yale University Press.

- Shelach-Lavi, Gideon (2015): The Archaeology of Early China: From Prehistory to the Han Dynasty. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

- Tan, Qixiang 谭其骧 (Ed.) (1982): Zhongguo lishi ditu ji 中国历史地图集 – Di yi ce: Yuanshi shehui, Xia, Shang, Xi Zhou, Chunqiu, Zhanguo shiqi 第一冊 原始社會、夏、商、西周、春秋、戰國時期. Beijing: Zhongguo ditu chubanshe.

- Wang, Shimin 王世民 (2024): Zhongguo kaoguxue biannianshi 中国考古学编年史. Beijing: Zhonghua Shuju.

- Jing, Zhongwei 井中伟 and Wang Lixin 王立新 (2020): Xia Shang Zhou kaoguxue 夏商周考古学. Beijing: Kexue chubanshe.

- Zou Heng 邹衡 (1980): Xia Shang Zhou kaoguxue lunwenji 夏商周考古学论文集.Beijing: Wenwu chubanshe.

2. Neolithic Period (10000 BC - 2000 BC)

From the Paleolithic-Neolithic transition to regional trajectories, specific cultures (Yangshao, Dawenkou, Liangzhu), and early state formation:

- Liu, Li and Xingcan Chen (2012): The Archaeology of China: From the Late Paleolithic to the Early Bronze Age. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

- Liu, Li (2004): The Chinese Neolithic: Trajectories to Early States. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

- Liu, Bin and Qin Ling (Ed.) (2020): Liangzhu Culture: Society, Belief, and Art in Neolithic China. London: Routledge.

- Müller-Karpe, Hermann (1982): Neolithische Siedlungen der Yangshao-Kultur in Nordchina. München: C.H. Beck.

- Höllmann, Thomas O. (1989): Die Dawenkou-Gräber: Ein Beitrag zur Kulturgeschichte des neolithischen China. München: C.H. Beck.

- Xu, Hong (2021): Earliest China. Singapore: Springer.

3. The Shang 商 Dynasty (1600 BC - 1045 BC)

The era of major urban centers, labor mobilization, and the beginning of Chinese History "proper":

- Li, Ji (1977): Anyang. Seattle: University of Washington Press.

- Keightley, David N. (2000): The Ancestral Landscape: Time, Space, and Community in Late Shang China (ca. 1200–1045 B.C.). Berkeley: Centre for Chinese Studies.

- Keightley, David N. (2012): Working for His Majesty: Research Notes on Labor Mobilization in Late Shang China. Berkeley: Institute of East Asian Studies.

- Campbell, Roderick B. (2014): Archaeology of the Chinese Bronze Age: From Erlitou to Anyang. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press.

- Zhongguo shehui kexueyuan kaogu yanjiusuo 中国社会科学院考古研究所 (2003): Zhongguo kaoguxue: Xia Shang juan 中国考古学·夏商卷. Beijing: Zhongguo shehui kexue chubanshe.

- Note: Regarding Oracle Bones and Shang Bronzes as well as Shang Script, look at the "General", "Oracle Bone", and "Bronze Inscriptions" sections of the upcoming Palaeography post.

4. The Western Zhou 西周 Dynasty (1045 BC - 771 BC)

The Western Zhou Dynasty was the era of the Fengjian 封建 System, of Bronzes, and provided the governmental and cultural foundation of everything to come (even up until Modern China):

- Li, Feng (2006): Landscape and Power in Early China: The Crisis and Fall of the Western Zhou 1045–771 BC. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

- Li, Feng (2008): Bureaucracy and the State in Early China: Governing the Western Zhou. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

- Hsu, Cho-yun and Katheryn M. Linduff (1988): Western Chou Civilization. New Haven: Yale University Press.

- Zhongguo shehui kexueyuan kaogu yanjiusuo 中国社会科学院考古研究所 (2004): Zhongguo kaoguxue: liang Zhou juan 中国考古学·两周卷. Beijing: Zhongguo shehui kexue chubanshe.

- Yang Kuan 杨宽 (1999): Xi Zhou shi 西周史. Shanghai: Shanghai renmin chubanshe.

- Note: For bronze artifacts and epigraphy, please look out for our upcoming post in the "Bronze Inscriptions" section in the Palaeography Post.

In Part 3, we will cover the second half of our Archaeology section, focusing entirely on Eastern Zhou 東周 (770 BC-256 BC), Qin 秦 (221 BC-206 BC), and Han 漢 Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) archaeology.

Let us know in the comments if you have anything to add or which of these cultures you are studying.

Yours sincerely,
The r/EarlyChina-Mods

reddit.com
u/LarsPiano — 3 days ago
▲ 15 r/EarlyChina+3 crossposts

Early China Resource List - Part I: The Essential General Overviews

Hi everyone,

We are going to provide a comprehensive bibliography of Early China Studies in a series of posts, focusing primarily on books in English and Chinese (with occasional German recommendations as well).

This first post is dedicated to general introductions to the field, perfect for newcomers who don't know where to start or anyone looking for a solid foundational reference.

1. The Ultimate Standard References
If you only want to buy or check out one or two massive, definitive books that cover everything from the Neolithic roots to the first empires, choose these:

- Li, Feng (2013): Early China: A Social and Cultural History.
Why read it: The absolute best starting point. Li Feng combines his experience as both a historian and an active archaeologist. This book is a highly readable, beautifully illustrated summary of early Chinese civilization, including the origins of writing, warfare, and the first empires. It’s essentially a modern, compact alternative to the massive multi-volume encyclopedias.

- Loewe, Michael & Edward L. Shaughnessy (1999): The Cambridge History of Ancient China: From the Origins of Civilization to 221 BC.
Why read it: The undisputed "bible" of Early China studies. It combines archaeology, text studies, and history in huge, comprehensive chapters.

- Shelach-Lavi, Gideon (2015): The Archaeology of Early China: From Prehistory to the Han Dynasty.
Why read it: The best, most accessible modern introduction to the material culture and archaeological discoveries. Perfect if you want to understand how early Chinese societies actually developed on the ground.

2. Philosophy & Thought (The Intellectual History)

Early China is famous for the "Hundred Schools of Thought" (Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism, etc.). These books explain the ancient debates for starters:

- Graham, Angus C. (1989): Disputers of the Tao: Philosophical Argument in Ancient China.
Why read it: A brilliant and deep analysis by the great scholar of Daoism Angus C. Graham of how and why ancient Chinese thinkers argued with each other. It gives you the logical framework behind the philosophies.

- Goldin, Paul R. (2020): The Art of Chinese Philosophy: Eight Classical Ways and How to Read Them.
Why read it: Highly accessible, recent, and tailor-made for modern readers trying to understand the core texts for the first time.

3. Writing, Power, and Statecraft

How did early rulers manage to build giant empires and control information?

Lewis, Mark Edward (1999): Writing and Authority in Early China.
Why read it: A fascinating study on how the invention of writing wasn't just for communication, but a powerful tool for political control, administration, and statecraft.

Next time we will focus entirely on books about archaeology.

If you have any other books you can think of that might be great introductions to the field feel free to share them in the comment section to this post.

Yours sincerely

the r/EarlyChina-Mods

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u/LarsPiano — 3 days ago
▲ 10 r/Chinesearchitecture

A new community on Reddit for Early China-related content

Hi everyone, hope you are doing well! I just created a new community for content related to Early China. If you are interested in this feel free to join and post. Let's make those bronzes speak ;)

Here is the link for those interested: https://www.reddit.com/r/EarlyChina

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u/LarsPiano — 3 days ago
▲ 8 r/EarlyChina

Welcome to r/EarlyChina! Start Here

We created this community to build a platform on Reddit for people interested in Early China - that is from Neolithic times until the fall of the Han dynasty (AD 220).

Whether you are a student, an academic, or just a hobby enthusiast: everyone is warmly welcomed here!

Things you can post on this subreddit include:

-Things related to Early Chinese/Sandai archaeology;

-Things related to ancient Chinese texts and philology;

-Things related to Old Chinese linguistics;

-Things related to your own work in progress if you want to share;

-But also much more. This community is open even for posts that don't need to necessarily take place in early china, but are by their nature related to it (like the reworking of early chinese stories in later times; the commentaries on the classics or Qing-dynasty scholarship for example).

Also if some of you are interested to be mods, just contact me. I am looking for other mods :)

I hope you enjoy it here and please remember to always be civil and nice to each other. Just remember the saying from the Lunyu 15.24 《論語 • 衛靈公》：子曰：「其恕乎！己所不欲，勿施於人。」😉

Yours sincerely,

the Mod-Team of EarlyChina

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u/LarsPiano — 3 days ago
▲ 9 r/Archaeology

A new community on Reddit for Early China-related content

Hi everyone, hope you are doing well! I just created a new community for content related to Early China. If you are interested in this feel free to join and post. Let's make those bronzes speak ;)

Here is the link for those interested: https://www.reddit.com/r/EarlyChina

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u/LarsPiano — 4 days ago
▲ 2 r/ChineseHistory

A new community on Reddit for Early China-related content

Hi everyone, hope you are doing well! I just created a new community for content related to Early China. If you are interested in this feel free to join and post. Let's make those bronzes speak ;)

Here is the link for those interested: https://www.reddit.com/r/EarlyChina

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u/LarsPiano — 4 days ago
▲ 7 r/classicalchinese

A new community on Reddit for Early China-related content

Hi everyone, hope you are doing well! I just created a new community for content related to Early China. If you are interested in this feel free to join and post. Let's make those bronzes speak ;)

Here is the link for those interested: https://www.reddit.com/r/EarlyChina

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u/LarsPiano — 4 days ago
▲ 12 r/EarlyChina

The Yan Hou Zhi Ding 宴侯旨鼎 inscription and the early rulers of Yan 燕/匽

Hi everyone, wanted to share with you a transcription and translation of the 宴侯旨鼎 inscription I did. Zhi 旨was the second ruler of the feudal state of Yan 燕 during the Western Zhou (1045 BC - 771 BC) and his predecessor Ke 克 of whom we know through the Ke He 克盉 and Ke Lei 克罍 inscriptions (probably the eldest son of the Duke of Shao 召公, who was credited to be the first to receive Yan in transmitted texts like the Shiji 史记, but in reality wasn't able to fulfill his position and his son was sent. This is similar to what happened in Lu if you think about the appointment of the son of the Duke of Zhou 周公, although he was the first ruler of Lu 魯formally).

Iwill just translate my translation into english here, for the transcription you will have to look at the picture, because some characters are written in a way that isn't supported by Unicode.

My translation is as follows:"The Lord of Yan, Zhi, had his first audience at and served at Zongzhou. The King granted Zhi twenty strings of cowrie shells. Herewith he made this treasured sacrificial vessel for Si."

Hope you like it and would love to hear criticism :)

u/LarsPiano — 4 days ago
▲ 8 r/EarlyChina

Welcome to r/EarlyChina! Start Here

We created this community to build a platform on Reddit for people interested in Early China - that is from Neolithic times until the fall of the Han dynasty (AD 220).

Whether you are a student, an academic, or just a hobby enthusiast: everyone is warmly welcomed here!

Things you can post on this subreddit include:

-Things related to Early Chinese/Sandai archaeology;

-Things related to ancient Chinese texts and philology;

-Things related to Old Chinese linguistics;

-Things related to your own work in progress if you want to share;

-But also much more. This community is open even for posts that don't need to necessarily take place in early china, but are by their nature related to it (like the reworking of early chinese stories in later times; the commentaries on the classics or Qing-dynasty scholarship for example).

I hope you enjoy it here and please remember to always be civil and nice to each other. Just remember the saying from the Lunyu 15.24 《論語 • 衛靈公》：子曰：「其恕乎！己所不欲，勿施於人。」😉

Yours sincerely,

the Mod-Team of EarlyChina

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u/LarsPiano — 4 days ago
▲ 4 r/classicalchinese

My translation and transcription of the 匽侯旨鼎 inscription

Hi everyone, wanted to share with you a transcription and translation of the 宴侯旨鼎 inscription I did today. Zhi was the second ruler of the feudal state of 燕 during the western zhou and his predecessor Ke (probably the eldest son of the duke of shao 召公, who was credited to be the first to receive Yan in transmitted texts like the Shiji 史记, but in reality wasn't able to fulfill his position and his son was sent. This is similar to what happened in Lu if you think about the appointment of the son of the Duke of Zhou, although he was the first ruler of Lu formally).

​

Iwill just translate my translation into english here, for the transcription you will have to look at the picture, because some characters are written in a way that isn't supported by Unicode.

​

My translation is as follows:"The Lord of Yan, Zhi, had his first audience at and served at Zongzhou. The King granted Zhi twenty strings of cowrie shells. Herewith he made this treasured sacrificial vessel for Si."

​

Hope you like it and would love to hear criticism :)

u/LarsPiano — 2 months ago
▲ 112 r/autism

Is it common for autistics to have a hard time lying?

I am just wondering because I feel like I am literally unable to lie, even when I know this honesty isn't what the other person wants to hear. I can physically lie of course or not tell the truth, but I get the feeling then that this is wrong and have the conviction that this will actually be worse on a long term than telling a truth that isn't pleasant at first glance, but ultimately will make a interhuman relationship upright and will be for the best in the end. Just noticed that in myself and would like to ask if you also feel that way.

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u/LarsPiano — 2 months ago
▲ 9 r/classicalchinese

Learning chinese historical linguistics

How does one learn chinese historical linguistics the best way? So far I'm just trying to get into it and have read Dong Hongyuan's book "A history of the chinese language" and am reading Shen Zhongwei's "A phonological history of chinese" right now. I am thinking about getting baxter-sagart's "Old chinese. A new reconstruction" afterwards, as I'm most intetested in Old chinese because of my palaeographical studies. However I find the material rather difficult to get my head around, especially phonology. So my question is how one can best study it aside from reading books (but book recommendations are always very welcome ofc)

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u/LarsPiano — 2 months ago
▲ 6 r/PrecolumbianEra

Sources for studying Maya hieroglyphs

Hi, a friend and I wanted to study maya hieroglyphs/classical maya together and I thought that we could start with the "introduction to maya hieroglyphs" by Kettunen and Helmke, because another friend of mine (who is quite a maya fan) sent me this along a number of other books via discord when he found out I wanted to learn maya hieroglyphs. I have a number of other sources as well, such as inscriptions from Palenque, maya grammar, vocabulary lists, beginners dictionary of glyphs and so on.

​

However now I also thought about buying the book "translating maya hieroglyphs" by Scott Johnson, as it seems to me to be more extensive and practical than the one by Kettunen and Helmke (we might do this after Kettunen and Helmke). I also thought it would be a good idea to buy the book "dictionary of maya hieroglyphs" by John Montgomery. I would like to ask if you could recommend them or think they are superfluous for our study or how good the learning process I thought of (Kettunen/Helmke -> Johnson -> inscriptions from Palenque) is for learning maya hieroglyphs. Would be very grateful for any opinion I get on that :)

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u/LarsPiano — 2 months ago
▲ 9 r/Mayan

Sources for studying Maya hieroglyphs

Hi, a friend and I wanted to study maya hieroglyphs/classical maya together and I thought that we could start with the "introduction to maya hieroglyphs" by Kettunen and Helmke, because another friend of mine (who is quite a maya fan) sent me this along a number of other books via discord when he found out I wanted to learn maya hieroglyphs. I have a number of other sources as well, such as inscriptions from Palenque, maya grammar, vocabulary lists, beginners dictionary of glyphs and so on.

​

However now I also thought about buying the book "translating maya hieroglyphs" by Scott Johnson, as it seems to me to be more extensive and practical than the one by Kettunen and Helmke (we might do this after Kettunen and Helmke). I also thought it would be a good idea to buy the book "dictionary of maya hieroglyphs" by John Montgomery. I would like to ask if you could recommend them or think they are superfluous for our study or how good the learning process I thought of (Kettunen/Helmke -> Johnson -> inscriptions from Palenque) is for learning maya hieroglyphs. Would be very grateful for any opinion I get on that :)

reddit.com
u/LarsPiano — 2 months ago
▲ 7 r/mesoamerica+1 crossposts

Sources for studying Maya hieroglyphs

Hi, a friend and I wanted to study maya hieroglyphs/classical maya together and I thought that we could start with the "introduction to maya hieroglyphs" by Kettunen and Helmke, because another friend of mine (who is quite a maya fan) sent me this along a number of other books via discord when he found out I wanted to learn maya hieroglyphs. I have a number of other sources as well, such as inscriptions from Palenque, maya grammar, vocabulary lists, beginners dictionary of glyphs and so on.

However now I also thought about buying the book "translating maya hieroglyphs" by Scott Johnson, as it seems to me to be more extensive and practical than the one by Kettunen and Helmke (we might do this after Kettunen and Helmke). I also thought it would be a good idea to buy the book "dictionary of maya hieroglyphs" by John Montgomery. I would like to ask if you could recommend them or think they are superfluous for our study or how good the learning process I thought of (Kettunen/Helmke -> Johnson -> inscriptions from Palenque) is for learning maya hieroglyphs. Would be very grateful for any opinion I get on that :)

reddit.com
u/Comfortable_Cut5796 — 2 months ago
▲ 26 r/CPTSD

Do you miss your abusers?

Am just wondering because I often find myself wanting her back, although I know it would destroy me. Am just wondering how common it is to still love them and defend them in front of others after they have destroyed your life

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u/LarsPiano — 2 months ago