ANS 372 / HIS 364G
Early China: History and Archaeology
Fall 2010
Syllabus
Course unique numbers: 30770 (ANS) & 39457 (HIS)
Class meetings: MWF, 3-4 pm in WEL 2.256
Course website at https://webspace.utexas.edu/~dms2244/courses/ans372_earlychina/
For the updated version of this syllabus, consult the course website.
Instructor
David Sena
Assistant Professor, Department of Asian Studies
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: (512) 471-7965
Office: WCH 5.104c
Office hours: MWF 9:30-10:30am
Course description
This course will examine the ancient roots of Chinese civilization, from the fluid mix of
regional cultures in the Neolithic period (beginning ca. 8000 B.C.E.) through the
establishment of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.). In addition to covering major
political developments, we will pay close attention to religious, intellectual, and social
trends, as well as to changes in the material culture of ancient China. Throughout the
course we will focus particularly on recent archaeological discoveries and their impact
on the historiography of ancient China. Nearly eighty years of modern archaeology in
China has produced a wide array of data that have revolutionized our understanding of
ancient history. As new texts and artifacts continue to be unearthed, historians struggle
to reconcile this new knowledge about the past with a received historical tradition that
goes back 2000 years. This tension between received historical knowledge and modern
archaeology puts archaeology at the heart of fierce historiographic debates. This course
will explore these issues by examining early Chinese history in light of major
archaeological discoveries of texts and materials, discussing both the content of the
discoveries and their impact on the historiography of ancient China.
Course goals
There are three learning goals for this course. The first is to acquire a broad
understanding of the historical development of Chinese civilization from its origins in the
Neolithic period through the second century C.E. This course adopts a "hands on"
approach by asking students to consider primary historical evidence of both a textual
and visual nature. Therefore, a second goal of this course is to develop one's ability to
interpret texts and images as historical evidence by considering such material within its
particular cultural context. The third goal of the course is to understand the impact of
modern archaeology on the study of Chinese history and the historiographic issues
involved in combining archaeological evidence with traditional sources of history. The
ultimate goal of the course is to acquire a richer understanding of both Chinese culture
and the practice of studying the history of ancient civilizations.
Requirements
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Reading assignments: The schedule of class meetings and reading assignments
is available online via the course website. Required reading averages roughly 65
pages per week and is drawn from a range of primary and secondary sources,
including material of both a textual and visual nature. Students will be expected to
have completed the required reading assignment for each class before the class
meeting. Completion of the reading assignment involves not only reading the
required pages but also thinking critically and creatively about how such material
informs one's understanding of Chinese history, relating it to other readings and
topics in the course, and formulating discussion questions.
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Participation: This course demands consistent, punctual, and active
participation. All students are expected to contribute actively to class meetings by
posing questions and by responding to the questions and comments of other
students based on the material in lectures and readings. Students who attend
class regularly but do not contribute actively can expect a grade of "C" for their
class participation (15% of one's overall grade!).
Attendance: Students are expected to attend all class meetings and are
responsible for signing in on an attendance sheet to be distributed during each
class. While regular attendance is a substantial factor in your grade for
participation, you earn credit for participation by being actively engaged in the
class.
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Quiz: One short quiz on geography and language will be administered in class on
Friday 9/3.
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Presentation: Each student will participate in one major group presentation on a
particular archaeological site. Students are highly encouraged to work together to
create a single, coherent presentation in which all members of the group have a
chance to speak. Except in extraordinary circumstances, presentations will be
assigned a single grade that will apply to all members of the group. Such
presentations are part of the course material that will be tested on the midterm
and final examinations.
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Midterm examination: A midterm exam will be administered in class on
Wednesday, October 20. The exam will covers all lectures, readings, and
presentations from the beginning of the course through Monday, October 18.
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Short paper: A paper of 5-7 pages is due on the last day of class, Friday,
December 3. Paper topics are open, but students are strongly encouraged to
develop their paper topics in consultation with the instructor during office hours or
via e-mail. Late papers will be penalized 1/3 of a full letter grade for each day
beyond the scheduled due date.
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Final examination: The final exam will test material covered in class during the
entirety of the semester. The exam is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday,
December 8, 7:00–10:00 pm. The exam will be administered at the time and place
officially scheduled by the Office of the Registrar, typically finalized three weeks
before the end of the semester. All students must take the final exam at the
officially scheduled time.
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Grading
Final grades will be calculated according to the criteria below. Grades of
plus/minus will be assigned as appropriate.
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Class participation: 15%
Quiz: 5%
Presentation: 20%
Midterm exam: 15%
Short paper: 20%
Final exam: 25%
Readings
All required readings for this course are available via the course page on
Electronic Reserves (ERes, http://reserves.lib.utexas.edu/eres). For copyright reasons,
the ERes collection for this course is password protected. If you are enrolled in
the class and don't have the password, please e-mail the instructor.
Course website
A website for this course has been established at
https://webspace.utexas.edu/~dms2244/courses/ans372_earlychina/.
It is essential that you
establish some means of accessing the site because the updated syllabus,
course schedule, assignments, handouts, and important announcements will all
be distributed through the website. In addition to the course website, you may
also use eGradebook in UT Direct to check your grades. If you have any trouble
accessing these tools, please consult the instructor.
Policy on scholastic dishonesty
Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to
disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or
dismissal from the University. Since such dishonesty harms the individual, all
students, and the integrity of the University, policies on scholastic dishonesty will
be strictly enforced. For further information please visit the Student Judicial
Services website: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs.
Students with disabilities
Any student with a documented disability who requires academic
accommodations should contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 4716259 (voice) or 1-866-329-3986 (Video Phone) as soon as possible to request
an official letter outlining authorized accommodations.
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Schedule of Class Meetings
For reading assignments please consult the course website at https://webspace.utexas.edu/~dms2244/courses/ans372_earlychina/.
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Date
8/25
8/27
8/30
9/1
9/3
9/6
9/8
9/10
9/13
9/15
9/17
9/20
9/22
9/24
9/27
9/29
10/1
10/4
10/6
10/8
10/11
10/13
10/15
10/18
10/20
10/22
10/25
10/27
10/29
11/1
11/3
11/5
11/8
11/10
11/12
11/15
11/17
11/19
11/22
11/24
11/26
11/29
12/1
12/3
12/8
Week
Time, Space, and Language
Site
The Neolithic Cultural Mix
Yaoshan, Yuhang, Zhejiang
浙江余杭瑤山
Quiz on geography and pinyin on Fri 9/3
Labor Day holiday; no class meeting
The Question of Xia
Erlitou, Yanshi, Henan
河南偃師二里頭
The Late Shang State
Tomb of Fu Hao 婦好 (M5)
Yinxu, Anyang, Henan
河南安陽殷墟五號墓
Western Zhou and the Mandate of Heaven
Wei family cache
Zhuangbai, Fufeng, Shaanxi
陝西扶風莊白微氏家族窖藏
The Spring and Autumn Period and the
Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng
Leigudun, Suixian, Hubei
Development of the Regional State System
湖北隧縣擂鼓墩曾侯乙墓
Warring States
Tomb M2 at Baoshan, Jingmen, Hubei
湖北荊門包山二號墓
The Hundred Schools
Tomb M1 at Guodian, Jingmen, Hubei
湖北荊門郭店一號墓
Review and midterm
Midterm exam on Wed 10/20
Qin: State and Empire
Foundation of the Han Empire
Expansion of the Han Empire and Contact
with the Steppe Cultures of the North
Social and Religious Developments in the Han
Mausoleum of the First Emperor of Qin
Lintong, Shaanxi
陝西臨潼秦始皇帝陵園
Tomb of Lady Dai 軚 (M1)
Mawangdui, Changsha, Hunan
湖南長沙馬王堆一號墓
Tomb of Liu Sheng 劉勝 (M1)
Mancheng, Hebei
河北滿城一號墓
Wu Liang Shrine
Jiaxiang, Shandong
山東嘉祥武梁祠
Writing workshop and film screening
Thanksgiving holiday; no class meeting
Conclusions: Archaeology and the Legacy of Early China
Short paper due Fri 12/3
Final Exam, 7-10pm (date and time subject to change)
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