Early Civilizations 8/25/21 ARTH120Z 1 Key Points How do we know how advanced the Indus Valley Civilization has been, based on archeological evidences? How do we “read” prehistorical artworks? The material culture & technologies of prehistorical China, especially earthenware and jade. 2 The Indus Valley Civilization Thrived 2,600-1,900 BCE “Discovered” in the 1920s during archaeological excavations 3 Mohenjo-daro, aerial view & partial city plan, 2600-1900 BCE How does the city plan look like? Does it look planned, or does it look like it developed organically? 4 Mohenjo-daro. The Great Bath in the front, the granary mound in the background What does the significance of the granary mound in the city planning tell us? 5 The “Great Bath,” Mohenjo-Daro. 11.88 x 7 m, Depth 2.43m How do we know its primary function? What was this “Bath” used for? 6 Remains of arched roof for underground freshwater duct Household privy Chute outlets in wall for conveying bath water or rain runoff to municipal drainage conduits Large sewer lines Really good plumbing system… 7 Uniformly sized bricks made in organized workshops A standardized system of weights What do these tell us about the society at the time? 8 Stamp seals excavated from Mohenjo-daro Material: steatite What can these artifacts tell us about the society that made and used them? What can be their function? 9 Seal with “yogi”/Shiva-Pashupati. Mohenjo-daro, 2100-1750 B.C.E. Proto-Shiva? (Shiva as Mahesha, 10th century CE) Master of Animals? (pendant, 1700-1500 BCE) 10 Figurines of a mother goddess, c. 2600–1900 BCE Material: terracotta Likely a kind of votive offering to the goddess Certain physical features are exaggerated. Why? 11 Figurine of a “Dancing Girl.” Copper alloy, H: 10cm. 2600-1900 B.C.E. 12 Torso of a “Priest-King.” Steatite, H: 17.5cm. Mohenjo-daro, 2600-1900 B.C.E. 13 Neolithic period China c. 5000-2000 BCE Many distinctive cultures developed simultaneously, mostly along waterways 14 Conjectural drawing of Banpo Village (4700-3600 BCE, excavated in 1953), Shaanxi. Yangshao culture Why these materials? 15 Bowl with slip decoration of men’s heads and fish. Diam. 44.5cm. Banpo, Shaanxi. Yangshao culture Earthenware painted with slip 16 Deep vessel, Middle Jomon period (c. 3500-2500 BCE), Japan Comb-pattern pottery, Neolithic period, Korea Bowl with slip decoration of men’s heads and fish. Diam. 44.5cm. Banpo, Shaanxi. Yangshao culture Neolithic potteries—possible function? 17 Head/Mask, Hongshan culture, c. 4000-3000 BCE. Unbaked earthenware and jade. H: 22.5 cm Excavated with various jade artifacts in a tomb complex Naturalistic features, unclear function 18 Jadeite Nephrite Jade—”the fairest of stones” Most advanced jade-working technology in the Hongshan and Liangzhu cultures A luxury material. Why? 19 Disk (bi), Liangzhu culture (excavated 1936), ca ...

1. Early Civilizations
8/25/21
ARTH120Z
1
Key Points
How do we know how advanced the Indus Valley Civilization
has been, based on archeological evidences?
How do we “read” prehistorical artworks?
The material culture & technologies of prehistorical China,
especially earthenware and jade.
2
The Indus Valley Civilization
Thrived 2,600-1,900 BCE
“Discovered” in the 1920s during archaeological excavations
3

2. Mohenjo-daro, aerial view & partial city plan, 2600-1900 BCE
How does the city plan look like? Does it look planned, or does
it look like it developed organically?
4
Mohenjo-daro. The Great Bath in the front, the granary mound
in the background
What does the significance of the granary mound in the city
planning tell us?
5
The “Great Bath,” Mohenjo-Daro. 11.88 x 7 m, Depth 2.43m
How do we know its primary function?
What was this “Bath” used for?
6
Remains of arched roof for underground freshwater duct
Household privy
Chute outlets in wall for conveying bath water or rain runoff to

3. municipal drainage conduits
Large sewer lines
Really good plumbing system…
7
Uniformly sized bricks made in organized workshops
A standardized system of weights
What do these tell us about the society at the time?
8
Stamp seals excavated from Mohenjo-daro
Material: steatite
What can these artifacts tell us about the society that made and
used them?
What can be their function?
9

4. Seal with “yogi”/Shiva-Pashupati. Mohenjo-daro, 2100-1750
B.C.E.
Proto-Shiva?
(Shiva as Mahesha, 10th century CE)
Master of Animals?
(pendant, 1700-1500 BCE)
10
Figurines of a mother goddess, c. 2600–1900 BCE
Material: terracotta
Likely a kind of votive offering to the goddess
Certain physical features are exaggerated. Why?
11
Figurine of a “Dancing Girl.” Copper alloy, H: 10cm. 2600-
1900 B.C.E.
12

5. Torso of a “Priest-King.” Steatite, H: 17.5cm. Mohenjo-daro,
2600-1900 B.C.E.
13
Neolithic period China
c. 5000-2000 BCE
Many distinctive cultures developed simultaneously, mostly
along waterways
14
Conjectural drawing of Banpo Village (4700-3600 BCE,
excavated in 1953), Shaanxi. Yangshao culture
Why these materials?
15
Bowl with slip decoration of men’s heads and fish. Diam.
44.5cm. Banpo, Shaanxi. Yangshao culture
Earthenware painted with slip

6. 16
Deep vessel, Middle Jomon period (c. 3500-2500 BCE), Japan
Comb-pattern pottery, Neolithic period, Korea
Bowl with slip decoration of men’s heads and fish. Diam.
44.5cm. Banpo, Shaanxi. Yangshao culture
Neolithic potteries—possible function?
17
Head/Mask, Hongshan culture, c. 4000-3000 BCE. Unbaked
earthenware and jade. H: 22.5 cm
Excavated with various jade artifacts in a tomb complex
Naturalistic features, unclear function
18
Jadeite
Nephrite
Jade—”the fairest of stones”
Most advanced jade-working technology in the Hongshan and
Liangzhu cultures

7. A luxury material. Why?
19
Disk (bi), Liangzhu culture (excavated 1936), ca. 2700–2500
BCE. Nephrite. Diam. 21.3 cm.
Square Tube (cong) with masks, Liangzhu culture, China. ca.
3300-2250 BCE. Nephrite. H. 47.2cm
“Pig-dragon.” Hongshan culture (excavated 1935). Nephrite. H:
11cm
What can these jade artifacts tell us about the tombs in which
they were excavated?
21
Animal Mask Pendant, Liangzhu culture, 3000-2000BCE
Knife with mask motif, Longshan culture, 3000-1700BCE
Jade was everywhere! At least for the wealthy…
22

8. Cong from tomb 12 of Fanshan, Zhejiang province, Liangzhu
culture, 3600-2000 BCE
23
Political Authority I
ARTH120Z
8/30/21
1
Key points
Why were so many terracotta soldiers made and buried in the
tomb of the First Emperor of Qin? Why were they so life-like
and individualized?
How and by whom were the terracotta soldiers made?
What does the necropolis of Qin Shihuangdi tell us about his
vision of himself, his ruling, and his empire?
Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE)

9. First unified state in China with centralized power
Follows:
Neolithic period
Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BCE)
Zhou Dynasty (c. 1050-221 BCE)
Warring States Period (c. late 5th century -221BCE)
Quickly collapsed after the death of the first emperor, Qin
Shihuangdi (r. 259–210BCE)
3
Established a central bureaucracy, an administrative system that
was efficiently maintained by expanded networks of roads and
canals
Many construction projects including the first Great Wall
Absolute monarchy with draconian laws controlling taxation,
population, and ideas
Standardized the Chinese life—weight, measurements, currency,
writing system
Qin Shihuangdi (r. 259-210BCE)
4
Burial mound of Qin Shihuangdi. Discovered in 1974,

10. excavation still ongoing
When did the construction begin?
5
Plan of Qin Shihuangdi’s necropolis
6
… more than 700,000 conscripts from all parts of country
worked there. They dug through three subterranean streams and
poured molten copper for the outer coffin, and the tomb was
filled with models of palaces, pavilions and offices, as well as
fine vessels, precious stones and rarities… all the country’s
streams, the Yellow River and the Yangzi were reproduced in
mercury and by some mechanical means made to flow into a
miniature ocean. The heavenly constellations were shown above
and the regions of the earth below. The candles were made of
whale oil to ensure their burning for the longest possible time.
-- Sima Qian (c. 145-186 BCE) , Records of
the Grand Historian

11. Terracotta figures representing officials
War Chariot (first chariot) in bronze
Bronze crane
Terracotta “strongman”
An ambitious diorama of the Qin Empire…
8
Terracotta soldiers in the Army pits
9
The Terracotta Army, Pit 1
6000+ soldiers, standing in military/battle position with real
weapons
10
Pit 1: The largest; perhaps representing the emperor’s main
army

12. 12
2nd pit: ˜1300 figures, specialized forces—archers, chariots,
cavalries
3rd: the headquarters? 68 soldiers
Soldiers standing, facing each other—as if they are about to
greet their commander
Also includes a chariot painted with lacquer and covered by a
canopy
Emphasis on the military—Why?
Horseman, 5th–3rd century BCE. Painted earthenware,
Xianyang, Shaanxi Province, H: 23.5 cm (11 inches)
Disk (bi), Liangzhu culture (excavated 1936), ca. 2700–2500
BCE. Nephrite. Diam. 21.3 cm.
Square Tube (cong) with masks, Liangzhu culture, China. ca.
3300-2250 BCE. Nephrite. H. 47.2cm

13. Burying objects and figurines in tombs—a tradition in China
16
How are these two artifacts similar to and different from one
another?
Horseman, 5th–3rd century BCE. H: 23.5 cm
Life-size terracotta representation of cavalryman and horse from
Army Pit 2, c. 210 BCE
17
Sculpted in the round
Striking naturalism. Notice the details!
18
Originally colored in lacquer colors—adding to the lifelike
quality
19

14. Great attention to the face, the hairdo, and the torso—not so
much with the legs
Individual “portraits” of the emperor’s soldiers?
20
How was this emphasis on individuality achieved?
21
Types of Parts :
Plinth (3)
Legs under armor (2)
Position of feet (2)
Shoes & boots (7)
Torso (8)
Armor (2 x3)
Arms (2?)
Hands (2)
Head (8)
Modular Production

15. 22
Body parts made in multiple molds—maximizing the variety of
completed parts
23
Workshop stamps—what would they have been used for?
24
A strictly standardized production, a well-ordered and
intentional arrangements of space and objects inside, a
pronounced emphasis on the military…
What does this monument say about Qin Shihuangdi’s vision of
himself, his ruling, and his empire?
25