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This book is a study of the production and use of iron and steel in China up to the second century B.C., and simultaneously a methodological study of the reconciliation of archaeological and written sources in Chinese cultural history. An introductory chapter describes and discusses the available sources and their use, gives a brief outline of early Chinese archaeology and history, and develops certain important themes, especially the interaction of North and South in early China. Further chapters consider the invention of iron in a barbarian culture of southeast China, its spread to the area of Chinese culture, and the development of a large-scale iron industry in the third century B.C. The technology of iron production in early China is considered in two chapters, on the microstructures of wrought and cast iron artifacts.
This book brings both literary and archaeological evidence to bear in an investigation of the history of the Han state's iron monopoly, and considers the reasons for its establishment and the intense opposition it provoked.
The Chinese made the world's first bronze chime-bells, which they used to perform ritual music, particularly during the Shang and Zhou dynasties (ca. 1700-221 B.C.). Lothar von Falkenhausen's rich and detailed study reconstructs how the music of these bells—the only Bronze Age instruments that can still be played—may have sounded and how it was conceptualized in theoretical terms. His analysis and discussion of the ritual, political, and technical aspects of this music provide a unique window into ancient Chinese culture. This is the first interdisciplinary perspective on recent archaeological finds that have transformed our understanding of ancient Chinese music. Of great significance to the understanding of Chinese culture in its crucial formative stage, it provides a fresh point of departure for exploring later Asian musical history and offers great possibilities for comparisons with music worldwide.
A History of Chinese Science and Technology (Voulumes 1, 2 & 3) presents 44 individual lectures, beginning with Ancient Chinese Science and Technology in the Process of Human Civilizations and An Overview of Ancient Chinese Science and Technology, and continuing with in-depth discussions of several issues in the history of science and the Needham Puzzle, interspersed with topics on Astronomy, Arithmetic, Agriculture, and Medicine, The Four Great Inventions, and various technological areas closely related to clothing, food, shelter, and transportation. This book is the most authoritative work on the history of Chinese Science and Technology. It is the Winner of the China Book Award, the Shang...
This clearly written, comprehensively indexed, and reader-friendly manual contains more than 350 monographs -- each describing the functions, indications, combinations, and applications of commonly used Chinese Materia Medica. Comprehensive monographs contain: details of main ingredients, taste and nature, channels entered, functions and indications, common dosage, precautions and contraindications. Unique tabular format lists provide "at-a-glance" accessibility. Summary tables in each chapter help you obtain quick overviews of the material covered. Unique coverage on toxicity and legal status. Comprehensive list of appendices and indices -- listings are by pinyin, pharmaceutical, and English names for easy reference.
The book presents thirty great Chinese inventions, both ancient and modern, which are original, distinct, have made outstanding contributions and had extensive influence in China and around the globe. It also clarifies the misunderstandings and provides a clear definition and classification of the evaluation criteria for great inventions. Each invention is presented with color pictures and comprehensive discussions. The book not only offers readers the fascinating stories behind the greatest inventions of all time from China, such as the compass, paper, and tea making & planting, but also allows them to be inspired by the great Chinese inventors’ inherent spirit of innovation and creativity.
"Past, present and future "The archaeological materials recovered from the Anyang excavations ... in the period between 1928 and 1937 ... have laid a new foundation for the study of ancient China (Li, C. 1977: ix)." When inscribed oracle bones and enormous material remains were found through scientific excavation in Anyang in 1928, the historicity of the Shang dynasty was confirmed beyond dispute for the first time (Li, C. 1977: ix-xi). This excavation thus marked the beginning of a modern Chinese archaeology endowed with great potential to reveal much of China's ancient history.. Half a century later, Chinese archaeology had made many unprecedented discoveries which surprised the world, leading Glyn Daniel to believe that "a new awareness of the importance of China will be a key development in archaeology in the decades ahead (Daniel 1981: 211). This enthusiasm was soon shared by the Chinese archaeologists when Su Bingqi announced that "the Golden Age of Chinese archaeology is arriving (Su, B. 1994: 139--140)". In recent decades, archaeology has continuously prospered, becoming one of the most rapidly developing fields in social science in China"--
Weapons in Late Shang (c.1250-1050 BCE) China: Beyond Typology and Ritual explores the large quantities of bronze and jade weapons, such as dagger-axes, spears and arrows, found at the World Heritage site of Yinxu, the late Shang capital located near today’s Anyang city in central China. Qin Cao’s innovative research presents new insights into these weapons, moving beyond perceptions of them being primarily symbols of power and rank. Through the lens of weapons, this book argues for the significance of martial prowess and leadership within late Shang society. The author considers Shang weapons from an object biographical perspective, tracing their life histories for the first time. This ...
This is the proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on History of Machines and Mechanisms that was held in Beijing, China, in September 2018. The Symposium provided an international forum for presenting and discussing historical developments in the field of Machine and Mechanism Science (MMS). Special sections focused on the following topics: . modern reviews of past works · engineers in history, and their works · direct memories of the recent past · the development of theories · the history of the design of machines and mechanisms · development of automation and robots · the development of teaching of MMS · the schools and institutes of mechanical engineering · the heritage of machines and mechanisms
Here is the first translation into English of the complete Yin-Hai Jing-Wei, a classic fifteenth-century text on Chinese ophthalmology. As one of the few original manuscripts on traditional Chinese medicine translated into a Western language, this work offers an unprecedented view of the practice of medicine, and specifically eye care, in premodern China. Superbly rendered from the classical Chinese and extensively annotated by Paul U. Unschuld and Jürgen Kovacs, the text provides detailed descriptions of the etiology, symptomatology, and therapy of every eye disease known to fifteenth-century Chinese practitioners. The translators' introduction also provides the first in-depth analysis of the development of this specialty within Chinese medicine. As a source for comparative studies of Chinese and Western medicine and numerous other issues in the history of medicine and Chinese thought, the Yin-Hai Jing-Wei has no equal in the Western world.