Special Topics in Chinese History: Reading Tombs in Ancient China

This course offers an introduction to the artistic, literary, and architectural traditions of building elaborate tombs in China in the ancient and medieval periods. Beginning with the rise of empire in the 1st millennium BCE, we trace the history of imperial and aristocratic tomb-building through the fall of the Han empire, period of disunity, and the flowering of the Silk Road. Finally, we conclude with lively examples of non-aristocratic tombs from Song and Mongol periods. We visit museums and read primary materials in classical and contemporary Chinese. Some English translations are available.