Guest
This lecture will set the stage for the developments to follow. We will begin with a consideration of the physical environment of East Asia and the specific sites in which Chinese civilization emerged: the mountains, coastline, and river valleys that defined the heartland of Chinese culture and remain the core of China today. We will also examine the prehistoric background of Chinese culture as it took form through the Neolithic era, with particular emphasis on the rise of settled agricultural societies and the multiple regional cultures that converged into the mainstream of China’s historical identity.
