The Landscape of China’s Participation in the Bronze Age Eurasian Network

Summary

In the last decade, much has been learned about the network of interactions in Bronze Age Eurasia, and the importance of the steppe pastoralists in the creation of this network. However, the mechanisms that enabled societies in ancient China (both those bordering on and distant from the steppe) to participate in the Bronze Age Eurasian arena are still poorly understood. Based on the latest archaeological discoveries in China, this article focuses on the participation of four regions of ancient China: the Ejin River Transfer Zone (ERTZ); the western Hexi corridor; central Inner Mongolia; and the middle Yellow River valley. The article analyzed all significant innovations, materials, and technologies transmitted via the Eurasian network and adopted in ancient China, with an emphasis on metallurgy and the variations in the mechanism of its adoption across different societies during the Bronze Age.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Lifeways in Bronze Age China

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15330