Ancient China – Ancient Chinese Civilization (up to the Tang Dynasty)

Author: (Italian) Manrizio Scarpari, translated by Chen Xin
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Features: Ancient China nurtured a great civilization, the influence of which spread across Southeast Asia. Its brilliance and complexity are recorded in millennia of tradition. The vast treasures discovered in the 20th century amazed numerous archaeologists, confirming some events and information in historical records and encouraging further research that has proven fruitful. The text by Manrizio Scarpari, along with over 400 images in the book, narrates the astonishing civilization and cultural history of ancient China, from the Neolithic Age (8,500 BCE–1,700 BCE) to the Bronze Age dynasties of the Xia (21st century BCE–16th century BCE), Shang (16th century BCE–11th century BCE), and Zhou (11th century BCE–221 BCE), through the brief Qin Dynasty (221 BCE–206 BCE), the prosperous Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), and the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE). This book includes an important chapter analyzing multiple aspects of ancient social structures and daily life, from religious beliefs to politics, from ethics to family, from entertainment to war. The book places special emphasis on the description of art and various artifacts, including jade, metal utensils (especially bronze, as well as gold and silver often associated with bronze), ceramics, lacquerware, paintings, and objects made from precious stones, wood, and glass. Readers will explore some important archaeological sites, including the magnificent tombs of ancient aristocrats, where a large number of diverse artifacts were discovered (exquisite lacquerware, jewelry, armor, documents written on bamboo slips and silk, bronze ritual vessels, musical instruments, and finely crafted burial suits made of jade and gold thread, among others), as well as the spectacular Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang and the grand Buddhist grottoes, which are a form of religious art, showcasing the religious fervor of the ancient Chinese people.