Life and Afterlife in Ancient China

by Jessica Rawson

An epic new history of Ancient China told through the prism of a dozen extraordinary tombsThe three millennia up to the establishment of the first imperial Qin dynasty in 221 BC cemented many of the distinctive elements of Chinese civilisation still in place an extraordinarily challenging geography and environment, formidable infrastructure, a society based on the strict hierarchy of the family, a shared written script of characters, a cuisine founded on rice and millet, a material culture of ceramics, bronze, silk and jade, and a unique concept of the universe, in which ancestors continue to exist alongside the living. Records of these early achievements, and their diverse and unexpected expressions, often lie not in written history, but in how people marked the end of their their dwellings for the afterlife. Tombs, and the treasures within them, are almost the only artefacts to survive from Ancient China; their scale and sophistication rivals their equivalents in Ancient Egypt.Jessica Rawson, one of the most eminent Western scholars of China, explores twelve grand tombs - each from a specific historical moment and place - showing how they reveal wider political, dynastic and cultural developments, culminating in the lavish ambition of the First Emperor's monument, guarded by his army of terracotta warriors. Beautifully illustrated and drawing on the latest archaeological discoveries, Life and Afterlife in Ancient China illuminates a constellation of beliefs about life and death very different from our own and provides a remarkable new perspective on one of the oldest civilisations in the world.

Genres: History, China, Nonfiction, Asia

544 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2023

Reviews

[Peter Tillman]

Nature's short review: https://www.nature.com/articles/d4158...
"When constructing monumental tombs thousands of years ago, “the Egyptians built up” — with their pyramids — whereas “the Chinese built down”, writes sinologist Jessica Rawson. The geology of China’s dry Loess Plateau permitted the excavation of shafts more than 10 metres deep. These tombs were filled with objects for the afterlife. Rawson’s majestic history explores 11 such monuments and one large sacrificial deposit, dating from 5,000 years ago to the third century BC, with the First Emperor’s protective Terracotta Army."

Expected publication September 5, 2023. Check back later.

[Richard J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genuinely learned a lot from this and the depth of knowledge and research is impressive.

The main unease I have on this book is its refusal to even comment directly on the heavy implicit evidence of human sacrifice in the tombs it discusses, even if only to present alternative more benign explanations for the bodies of 13 young women found in an antechamber next to a marquis’s tomb when obvious grim thoughts comes to mind - later chapters refer explicitly to horse sacrifice eg, but the gap in any direct commentary on this matters is a quite noticeable silence.

[Raytown]

Fascinating but at times the level of detail was a bit too much for me.

[George Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not totally my thing but also very clearly a work of quality. Would have hit harder if i got it used but alas.

[Egghead · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting look
at burial practices/goods
a detailed survey

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic. Made me want to book a ticket to Beijing to see the national treasures. Essential reading for steppe pre-historic readers. Colour plate images that are incredible! My new favourite book!