Introduction to the Shang Period
Reading assignment: Introduction to Readings on Pre-Classical China (below the Contents page); The Discovery of the Shang
You are, of course, all working on your midterm exams this weekend, so I don't expect much in the way of preparation for our next class. If you have time, you'll find the one-page "Introduction" and pages 1-4 and 14-15 of the "Discovery" reading assigned here easy reading and a way to become oriented to the issues we will address in "Unit 2" in a very general way.
Bear in mind, G380 does not follow chronological order. Rearranged in chronological order, the course units look like this:
| Neolithic / pre-historic -- c. 5000-1500 UNIT #2, part 2 |
| Shang c. 1500-1045 UNIT #2, parts 1 and 3 Here's where we're going now, esp. c. 1250-1045 |
| Western Zhou 1045-771 UNIT #2, part 4 |
| Classical 771-221 UNIT #1 This is where we're coming from. |
| Qin - early Han 221- c. 100 UNIT #3 |
As you can see, in Unit #2 we do some jumping around. Basically, all this means is that after we become acquainted enough with the Shang to have some concrete sense what the question, "Hey, where did the Shang come from?" entails, we spend a little time answering that question (as best we can). Then we go back to complete our picture of the Shang, and move on to the Western Zhou -- all of which answers the question, "Where did Classical China come from?"
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THE BASIC TIMELINE
We are here now
We were here before |