24 Hours in Ancient China: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There

by Yijie Zhuang

Overview

Spend 24 hours with the ancient Chinese.

The year is AD 17. The Han dynasty is in power and we are in and around Chang’an, the capital and one of the most developed regions of the empire, which is enjoying a prolonged economic and cultural pinnacle.

There are extraordinary palaces, military bases and city walls. Households are benefitting from the invention of numerous agricultural technologies and an unprecedented level of craft production, which includes ceramics, bronzes, iron objects and many other elaborate goods.

This is an age that is both vibrant and innovative but also riven with conflict and contradictions. For as successful as the empire is, the reality is that life for the ordinary inhabitants is still about the same problems: earning money, work struggles and family dramas.

Discover what one day in ancient China is like by spending twenty-four hours with the people who lived there. Every hour we meet a different person – from dancers to doctors, priests to convicts, textile workers to tomb looters – and build a multi-layered picture of the social fabric of ancient China and this fascinating period in history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781789291230
Publisher:	Michael O'Mara Books
Publication date:	06/25/2020
Series:	24 Hours in Ancient History , #4
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
File size:	9 MB

About the Author

Dr Yijie Zhuang obtained his PhD in archaeology from Cambridge University and is now as Associate Professor in Chinese archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. He is primarily interested in ancient water-management systems and agricultural histories of China and South East Asia and has published many peer-reviewed articles and he has recenetly been surveying at an Iron Age site in Myanmar. He edited 30 Second Ancient China (Ivy Press).

Table of Contents

Introduction 10

Seventh Hour of the Night (00.00-01.00)

The Doctor Dispenses a Prescription 15

Eighth Hour of the Night (01.00-02.00)

The Tomb Robber Strikes Out 24

Ninth Hour of the Night (02.00-03.00)

The Midwife Delivers her Grandchild 34

Tenth Hour of the Night (03.00-04.00)

The Stablehand Prepares to Complain 44

Eleventh Hour of the Night (04.00-05.00)

The Housewife at the Flour Mill 55

Twelfth Hour of the Night (05.00-06.00)

The Bronze Worker Consults a Colleague 64

First Hour of the Day (06.00-07.00)

The Canal Worker is Nostalgic 76

Second Hour of the Day (07.00-08.00)

The Teacher Starts his Class 85

Third Hour of the Day (08.00-09.00)

The Textile Worker Picks Mulberry Leaves 94

Fourth Hour of the Day (09.00-10.00)

The Tomb Sculptor Trains his Apprentices 105

Fifth Hour of the Day (10.00-11.00)

The Salt Worker Harvests Brine 115

Sixth Hour of the Day (11.00-12.00)

The Priest Argues with a Friend 125

Seventh Hour of the Day (12.00-13.00)

The Warden of the Beacon Tower Collects Hay 135

Eighth Hour of the Day (13.00-14.00)

The Granary Keeper is Inspected 145

$$ Ninth Hour of the Day (14.00-15.00)

The Courier Approaches his Destination 156

Tenth Hour of the Day (15.00-16.00)

The Farmer Takes a Break 167

Eleventh Hour of the Day (16.00-17.00)

The Convict Arrives at his Destination 175

Twelfth Hour of the Day (17.00-18.00)

The Kiln Worker Feels Hounded 185

First Hour of the Night (18.00-19.00)

The Chef Prepares a Banquet 195

Second Hour of the Night (19.00-20.00)

The Consort's Maid is Distressed 205

Third Hour of the Night (20.00-21.00)

The Scribe Comes to a Decision 216

Fourth Hour of the Night (21.00-22.00)

The Performer Finishes her Act 227

Fifth Hour of the Night (22.00-23.00)

The Royal Maid Prepares a Bath 239

Sixth Hour of the Night (23.00-00.00)

The Soldier Fights for his Life 248

Conclusion 257

Acknowledgements 259

Bibliography 260

List of Illustrations 262

Index 264