China: An Interpretive History offers a compelling exploration of the origins of Chinese civilization, tracing the deep geological and evolutionary roots that predate Chinese history and raising profound questions about the nature of historical continuity. It illustrates how history imposes meaning on ancient artifacts and events, bridging the abstract with the culturally specific. The book's thought-provoking narrative interrogates the concept of history itself, distinguishing biological evolution from cultural heritage. It invites readers to consider how Peking Man becomes a historical figure only through the lens of later cultural achievements and societal developments.

Format: Hardback
Length: 162 pages
Publication date: 27 May 2022
Publisher: University of California Press

China: An Interpretive History

China: An Interpretive History offers a captivating exploration of the origins of Chinese civilization, delving into the intriguing intersection of historical fact and cultural narrative. Beginning with the discovery of Peking Man, this book delves into the profound geological and evolutionary roots that predate Chinese history, raising profound questions about the nature of historical continuity. By tracing the line from prehistoric human remains to the emergence of a distinctively Chinese cultural identity, it illustrates how history, as a retrospective framework, imparts meaning to ancient artifacts and events, bridging the abstract with the culturally specific.

The book's thought-provoking narrative goes beyond mere recounting of events, delving into the very concept of history itself. It distinguishes between biological evolution and cultural heritage, prompting readers to consider how Peking Man, an evolutionary figure, becomes a historical one only through the lens of later cultural achievements and societal developments. This dynamic interplay between geography, anthropology, and the shaping of historical consciousness makes this work an essential resource for understanding how civilizations root themselves in the past while projecting their unique identities into the present.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates the University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1969.

Weight: 318g
Dimension: 216 x 140 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520362802