Numbering Code	U-LAS01 10016 LE38	Year/Term	2022 ・ First semester
Number of Credits	2	Course Type	Lecture
Target Year	All students	Target Student	For all majors
Language	English	Day/Period	Tue.2
Instructor name	FORTE，Erika (Institute for Research in Humanities Professor)
Outline and Purpose of the Course	The topic of this course is: "History of Ancient China: From the Early dynasties to the end of the Tang 唐 period (ca. 21st c. BCE to 10th c. CE)." The course offers a broad overview of major cultural, economic, and political developments of China, starting from the time of the first dynasties ― the semi-mythical Xia 夏, the Shang 商 and the Zhou 周 dynasties (ca. 21th-8th c. BCE) ― to the end of the Tang 唐 Empire (618-906). Emphasis is placed upon social, religious, and intellectual spheres and the derived changes in the material culture. The Chinese history will be examined especially in light of new knowledge gained through recent major archaeological discoveries.
Course Goals	- To gain an understanding of the Chinese culture and its historical context. - To be able to identify major issues and significant events and have a clear timeline of ancient China's history.
Schedule and Contents	1. General introduction to the course 2. China history: methodology, timeline 3. The Xia 夏 and the Shang 商 dynasties (ca. 2000-ca. 1050 BCE) 4. The Zhou 周 dynasty (ca. 1050-221 BCE) (Part I) 5. The Zhou 周 dynasty (Part II) 6. The First Empire: The Qin 秦 and the Han 漢 Dynasties (256 BCE-220 CE) 7. The Han 漢 Dynasty (II) 8. Period of Fragmentation: The Three Kingdoms 三國 (220-280)； the Jin 晉 Dynasty (220-420)； the Northern and Southern Dynasties 南北朝 (420-581) 9. The impact of Buddhism 10+11. Museum visit (equivalent to two classes, it is held on the 3rd Sunday of June) 12. The Sui 隋 Dynasty (581-618) and the Tang 唐 Dynasty (618-907) 13. The Tang Dynasty period (II) 14. Summary 15. Submission of take-home exams 16. Feedback (on request)
Evaluation Methods and Policy	Attendance and participation are mandatory. Evaluation is based on preparation to class activities and active involvement in class discussion (20%); participation to museum excursion and related activity (a short report) (30%); final exam (take-home exam, 50%).
Course Requirements	None
Study outside of Class (preparation and review)	Classes are taught with the frontal method. Students will be instructed, at the end of each class, on the relevant literature of the topic taught for reviewing the lesson. During the course there will be some class activities for which students will have to prepare before the classes (typically a small research or a reading to comment). The final exam consists of a take-home exam. Preparation to this exam is based on notes that students have taken during the classes, on the material provided by the instructor, and on the suggested readings.
Textbooks	Textbooks/References	Relevant literature will be announced in class. Further learning material will be provided on PandA.
References, etc.	The Cambridge Illustrated History of China, 2nd edition, Patricia Buckley Ebrey, (Cambridge University Press), ISBN:9780521124331 The Open Empire. A History of China to 1600, Valerie Hansen, (Norton) Reference books are available at the Kyoto University libraries. Further material will be provided during the course (useful links to websites, readings, etc.).