The Burial Record of Prehistoric Liangshan in Southwest China: Graves As Composite Objects

Author:
Anke Hein

Publisher:
Springer-Verlag

Publication Date:
December 2016

Abstract:

This book proposes a new model and scheme of analysis for complex burial material and applies it to the prehistoric archaeological record of the Liangshan 涼山 region in Southwest China that other archaeologists have commonly given a wide berth, regarding it as too patchy, too inhomogeneous, and overall too unwieldy to work with. The model treats burials as composite objects, considering the various elements separately in their respective life histories. The application of this approach to the rich and diverse archaeological record of the Liangshan region serves as a test of this new form of analysis.

This volume thus pursues two main aims: to advance the understanding of the archaeology of the immediate study area which has been little examined, and to present and test a new scheme of analysis that can be applied to other bodies of material.

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1: Introduction

Part I: The Model and the Material
Chapter 2: Introducing the Tools: Theory, Method, and Mode
Chapter 3: Setting the Stage: The Geography and Burial Record of the Liangshan Region

Part II: Applying the Model
Chapter 4: Constructing the Grave: The Main Parts and their Combination Chapter 5: Placing the Dead: Interment Practices and other Rituals
Chapter 6: Providing for the Dead: The Object Assemblages
Chapter 7: Time and Space: Connecting the Parts

Part III: Evaluating the Model and the Data
Chapter 8: Connecting the Parts: Graves and Groups, Space and Time
Chapter 9: Taking Stock and Moving Forward