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In China, as elsewhere, the
earlier the period the more important archaeological evidence is to our
understanding of what life was like. For periods before writing,
surviving artifacts offer a crucial corrective to legend and myth.
Moreover, even after writing was invented, for many centuries the types
of texts that survive are very limited, so that there is still a great
deal to learn from artifacts. Scientifically excavated objects can
be placed more accurately in time and place than early texts, which
often went through a process of accretion over time, with many
passages added later. Think about the following issues as you examine each tomb:
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2300 BC |
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1200 BC |
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1000 BC |
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433 BC |
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113 BC |