Routledge - The Origins and Character of the Ancient Chinese City

Explore the foundational development of urban life in early China with this scholarly work from Routledge. Volume 1, The City in Ancient China, examines how hierarchically structured and functionally specialized social institutions emerged on the North China plain during the second millennium B.C. Author Paul Wheatley provides a detailed look at how these political and territorial institutions developed and eventually spread across North and Central China in the centuries that followed. The text examines the emergence of the ceremonial center, specifically within the context of Shang China, to explain a specific stage in the process of urban genesis. By using comparative evidence, Wheatley builds a clear argument regarding the growth of these early social structures. This volume is a significant resource for those studying ancient history, urban development, and the historical evolution of Chinese civilization.