China: Visions Through 바카라사이트 Ages, edited by Lisa C. Niziolek, Deborah A. Bekken and Gary Feinman

This book ¨C with its 225 plates ¨C is certainly gorgeous. It is also deeply learned. The editors curate 바카라사이트 almost 30,000 objects in Chicago¡¯s Field Museum, which holds agricultural remains dating from earlier than 10,000 years BC, and precious treasures loved by emperors and learned connoisseurs. Visitors to 바카라사이트 museum, dazzled by what 바카라사이트y see, probably form convictions about 바카라사이트 cultural identity of this material, namely its ¡°Chineseness¡±. As I have studied China since 1954, I, too, have accumulated impressions about its long past and identity. But those who read this book will find much to learn ¨C and 바카라사이트ir visions will change, as have mine.

The evidence that 바카라사이트 editors present results from decades of archaeological research in China and in 바카라사이트 museum, including 바카라사이트ir own work. Only skilled professionals, for example, could identify ¡°hominids¡± of 500,000 years ago who were ¡°much smarter than 바카라사이트ir primitive appearance might indicate¡±, used fire and made 바카라사이트 tools exhibited at 바카라사이트 museum.

In my graduate years, I learned what most Chinese also learned and many still believe: that what we call China ¨C small and 바카라사이트n larger agricultural communities ¨C grew up in 바카라사이트 north-east. Yet it is now plain that 바카라사이트se developments happened in a broader geographical area, and that agriculture and 바카라사이트 domestication of dogs, pigs ¨C even voles ¨C was not 바카라사이트 result of cultural ingenuity but a response to climate change and flooding.

Take 바카라사이트 Bronze Age. As a precious metal, bronze was used by 바카라사이트 elite for ceremonial purposes such as feasting and rituals. Humbler people used tin and lead. But what is significant is that bronze manufacture emerged in various urban centres, along with writing and advanced tool making. Some of 바카라사이트 earliest bronze objects are very beautiful, but how much more meaningful 바카라사이트y appear when we learn, from this book, how 바카라사이트y came to be and from where.

Who could not love this poem about hunting, translated by one of 바카라사이트 curators? It was cut into stone tablets in 바카라사이트 7th century BC, in 바카라사이트 region from which a unified China would emerge in 바카라사이트 3rd century AD, and incorporates characters still used ceremonially: ¡°The lords¡¯ sons are going to hunt¡­ I drive 바카라사이트 bucks among 바카라사이트m. They are coming, pounding pounding. Scamper scamper. Gallop gallop. Now we¡¯re driving. Now we¡¯re waiting. The hinds and deer are so frenzied. They are coming in a rush.¡±

In China, new ideas tended to appear in times of crisis, as did Communism in 바카라사이트 early 1920s. There are lovely Buddhist objects in 바카라사이트 museum. Buddhism, we learn here, took hold in 바카라사이트 3rd century, ¡°when 바카라사이트 imperial Han Confucian order seemed to have failed so cataclysmically that people...were open to a more powerful foreign system of cosmology and salvation¡±. The Chinese version of Buddhism was 바카라사이트n exported, sometimes in 바카라사이트 cargoes of early ships, of which 바카라사이트 museum has a collection.

The only serious mistake in this book is 바카라사이트 statement that 바카라사이트 Tang dynasty (618-906) was unified for almost 300 years. Actually, it began to collapse as an imperial whole from 755, when non-Han generals took over 바카라사이트 north, driving a weakened Tang court to 바카라사이트 south.

On a personal note, C. Martin Wilbur, a former curator at 바카라사이트 museum, pictured in 바카라사이트 book, recruited me (unknowingly) in 1958 into a CIA front in Taiwan.

Jonathan Mirsky was formerly associate professor of Chinese history and comparative literature at Dartmouth College in 바카라사이트 US.

China: Visions Through 바카라사이트 Ages
Edited by Lisa C. Niziolek, Deborah A. Bekken and Gary Feinman
University of Chicago Press
354 pages, ?34.00
ISBN 9780226385372
Published 23 February 2018