HSA-13 ORIGIN STORIES

Prof. Bol’s Office Hours have changed New office hours: Wednesday, 2-3:30, and further by appointment

September 19， 2007 Historical Study A-13/History e-1825 Origin Stories The meaning of “China” and the use of history to create meaning “China: an artwork whose medium is history” Locating origins in space the north China plain, the Yellow River, the “loess” region A. The story according to the Confucian texts of 500 BC: the “Former Kings” The culture heroes The sage-kings and their big ideas Yao Shun Yu/Yü * The “Three Dynasties” of Antiquity Xia/Hsia (2200?-1700? BC) Shang (c. 1700-1046 BC) Zhou/Chou (1045-256 BC) The meaning of “China” according to the texts: universal kingship, linear continuity, and a single origin B. The story according to late 20th century archaeologists Traditions of archaeology in China Homo erectus (Peking Man) 1 million-200,000 years ago Homo sapiens and the Holocene age (beginning 11,000 years ago) China’s origins and the “Near East Diffusion” theory Neolithic cultures Early Neolithic the Yangshao/Yang-shao and contemporary cultures (5000 BC) Map 1 the Longshan/Lung-shan cultural period (3000-2000 BC) and government Map 2 The meaning of “China” according to the artifacts: multiple origins and competing centers * When the romanization of Chinese terms in the Pinyin and Wade-Giles systems differs both spellings are given: first Pinyin/then Wade-Giles. (However “Peking” 北京 comes from neither Wade-Giles, which romanizes the city name as "Pei-ching," nor Pinyin, which spells it “Beijing.”)

Sage Kings Yao Shun Yu Xia dynasty (“2200-1700” BC) Shang dynasty (1700?-1046 BC) Zhou dynasty (1045-256 BC)

Yangshao culture

Map 1 – Early Neolithic cultures

Map 2 Late Neolithic Cultures