In the late 19th and early 20th centuries,as China opened its doors to the rest of the world, western archaeologists introduced new field methods that led to important discoveries and the establishment of scientific bodies for research. Today the splendours and achievements of ancient China are revealed to modern eyes: from the early Neolithic painted pottery; the magnificent Shang bronzes;the great bronze bells of the Marquis Yi of Zeng; the famous terracotta army of Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor;to the lavish tomb of the Marquis of Dai and his family from the Han dynasty.

1 BIRTH OF ARCHAEOLOGY IN CHINA

2 THE CHINESE NEOLITHIC: FROM SINGULAR TO PLURAL

3 THE SHANG: THE EMERGENCE OF A CIVILIZATION

4 EIGHT CENTURIES OF EVENTFUL HISTORY

5 QIN OR THE FIRST EMPIRE

6 THE SPREAD OF THE HAN EMPIRE

DOCUMENTS

Chronology

Historical Landmarks

Further Reading

List of Illustrations

Index