The roles of women in Chinese archaeology, with only a few exceptions, have at worst been overlooked, and at best consigned to conventional Marxist theory that prescribes formulaic frameworks for understanding gender—until now. Renowned archaeologist Katheryn M. Linduff and fellow researcher Yan Sun have brought together a fascinating collection that reexamines gender in ancient Chinese cultures. Acknowledging and negotiating the complications that challenge their efforts, the authors analyze and begin to reconstruct the roles of women in various regions of China from the late Neolithic to the early Empire period. Topics range from mortuary ritual, social status and structures of power, economic influences on cultural practice, textile production, and art in these early Chinese societies. This book is a must for students, professors, and practitioners of archaeology that seek a more complete examination of the archaeological record, for scholars in the fields of Asian Studies, Art History, and Chinese History more generally, as well as for those interested in the roles of women in ancient Chinese society.

The roles of women in Chinese archaeology, with only a few exceptions, have at worst been overlooked, and at best consigned to conventional Marxist theory that prescribes formulaic frameworks for understanding gender—until now. Renowned archaeologist Katheryn M. Linduff and fellow researcher Yan Sun have brought together a fascinating collection that reexamines gender in ancient Chinese cultures. Acknowledging and negotiating the complications that challenge their efforts, the authors analyze and begin to reconstruct the roles of women in various regions of China from the late Neolithic to the early Empire period. Topics range from mortuary ritual, social status and structures of power, economic influences on cultural practice, textile production, and art in these early Chinese societies. This book is a must for students, professors, and practitioners of archaeology that seek a more complete examination of the archaeological record, for scholars in the fields of Asian Studies, Art History, and Chinese History more generally, as well as for those interested in the roles of women in ancient Chinese society.

Chapter 1 Foreword
Chapter 2 Introduction: Gender and Chinese Archaeology
Chapter 3
Chapter I: THE NEOLITHIC PERIOD
Chapter 4
Chapter 1: Marxist and Post-Marxist Paradigms for the Neolothic
Chapter 5
Chapter 2: Mortuary Ritual in Northwestern China
Chapter 6
Chapter 3: The Late Neolithic Cemetery at Dadianzi, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Chapter 7
Chapter II: SHANG DYNASTIC PERIOD
Chapter 8
Chapter 4: Queens and Royal Ladies at Anyang
Chapter 9
Chapter III: ZHOU DYNASTIC PERIOD
Chapter 10
Chapter 5: Ritual Practice, Status, and Gender Identity: Western Zhou at Baoji
Chapter 11
Chapter 6: Gender Differentiation in Jin State Jade Regulations
Chapter 12
Chapter 7: Gender, Status, Ritual Regulations, and Mortuary Practice in the State of Jin
Chapter 13
Chapter 8: Female and Male Status Displayed at the Maoqinggou Cemetery
Chapter 14
Chapter 9: Gender and Kinship in Burial Practice at the Pinyang Site
Chapter 15
Chapter IV: HAN-DATE PERIOD
Chapter 16
Chapter 10: Female Divinities in Han Dynasty Representation
Chapter 17
Chapter 11: Figures Horsemen in the Dian Culture of Yunnan
Chapter 18
Chapter 12: Textile Production and Female Status in Bronze Age Yunnan
Chapter 19 Glossary
Chapter 20 Bibliography
Chapter 21 Index
Chapter 22 About the Contributors