Archaeology of Ancient China: A Collection of Academic Works by Zhang Guangzhi

Author: Zhang Guangzhi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-02-01
Features: About the overall framework and characteristics of ancient Chinese archaeology, how the "Three Dynasties" of Xia, Shang, and Zhou, as representatives of primitive civilization, first stepped into the threshold of civilization. This book provides detailed and thorough scientific analysis of issues related to the origin of civilization in ancient China, including the origin and influence range and foundational role of the civilizations surrounding the "Three Dynasties" of Xia, Shang, and Zhou, as well as the earliest civilizations outside the "Three Dynasties." This English translation of The Archaeology of Ancient China, completed by Professor Zhang Guangzhi, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and professor of anthropology at Harvard University, and translated by Mr. Yin Qun, is the latest edition (fourth edition) of the Chinese translation. It is a book that has had a lasting and profound global impact within the field of Chinese archaeology. Professor Zhang Guangzhi is a renowned archaeologist both domestically and internationally in modern times, who has made significant contributions to the development of modern Chinese archaeology, particularly in the field of archaeology related to the "Three Dynasties" of Xia, Shang, and Zhou. He has outstanding insights on the origin and development of civilization in the "Three Dynasties" of China and the academic issues surrounding the origin of world civilization. This work was originally Zhang Guangzhi's doctoral dissertation completed at the Department of Anthropology at Harvard University. Since 1963, it has been published in three editions. In 1987, the fourth edition of this book was released by Yale University Press. Although it retained the same title as before, many of its content and explanations were entirely different from the previous three editions, as the author stated at the beginning of the book, this is a completely new work on ancient Chinese archaeology. Since its publication in 1963, the book has not only received widespread acclaim but has also become a textbook and reference book for the study of ancient Chinese archaeology and prehistory in the non-Chinese-speaking world. Its citation rate is likely unmatched. It can be said that this is a representative work of overseas academic research on Chinese archaeology. The fourth edition of The Archaeology of Ancient China is a complete Chinese translation of the original and remains the most engaging book to date for understanding ancient Chinese archaeology.