Long before China existed, there was the East Asian Heartland Region that housed numerous cultures. These cultures merged linguistically, culturally, and politically to form what is now known as China. All this is discussed in the book, Ancient China by John S. Major and Constance A. Cook. The book tells the story of ancient China since the Neolithic period through the Bronze Age, imperial era of Qin and Hang to the medieval period in the third century. This paper will discuss the book, Ancient China, and analyze the impact that it has made in educating people on China’s ancient history.
The book is part of Chinese history and a representative of the East Asian cultures. It gives a detailed account of the various eras, the cultures, and people who evolved to form the modern-day China (Major and Cook 27). The book discussed the different geographic regions and what each region was good at. For instance, the northwestern heartland region is fertile but the soil erodes easily. Likewise, the southern Heartland Region is mountainous. The region is characterized by valleys and hills. Water is abundant in the region too. Furthermore, the book also discusses jades which were worn as pendants. There are several types such as pig-dragons, disk, and tube. They were worn by specific cultures.
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During the Bronze Age, bronze was used to make numerous items such as vessels and blades. Clay was also used to makes vessels that were used to warm milk and cook. Different cultures had dissimilar cultural practices. For example, the Shang dynasty used to sacrifice chariots by burying them along with their team of horses. In addition to that, there were numerous dynasties which rose and fell. For example, the Shang dynasty came after the Bronze Age. There was also the Qin and Hang dynasties that ruled the region (Major and Cook 67). The book also mentions the warring period, spring and autumn period, and the Western Zhou period.
The book is resourceful to anyone who wants to learn about East Asia cultures. It would also be a source of knowledge to those who want to know what happened in the regions during various periods. The book is lengthy and the authors provide readers with a detailed account of the cultures and eras. An individual who is interested in the book is more likely to be overwhelmed by the information that they get from the book (Major and Cook 71). The authors have gone in depth with the subject of jades, the Bronze Age, the diverse geographical areas, the dissimilar cultures and their practices, and well as the age of technology. The book is highly recommended for students who take up course related to Chinese history.
There is no better way for the book to be presented. This is because the writers are exhaustive and offer their wit and knowledge on the subject. Besides, a lot of research has been carried out for the book to be written and become this way. Nonetheless, the book could be summarized for individuals who do not wish to read all the details. In my opinion, the book does not misrepresent the Chinese history at any one point. What I understand is that the authors conducted extensive research on China’s history so that they could represent facts.
