Han Material Culture is an analysis of Han dynasty (206 BC–AD 220) Chinese archaeology based on a comparison of the forms of vessels found in positively dated tombs. The resultant chronological framework allows for the cross dating of tombs across China, of which approximately one thousand are documented here. In the context of this body of data, the development of not only vessel types but also tomb structure and decor is reevaluated, together with the pervasive intercultural exchange visible in all areas of this material. The Han dynasty emerges as a creative, surprisingly open society, heir to the Bronze Age and herald of what might be called the Age of Ceramics.

In an extraordinary feat of synthesis, Patricia Buckley Ebrey, a leading scholar of China, gives an engaging, full, gloriously illustrated account of over 8000 years of Chinese civilization - from prehistoric times through the rise of Confucianism, Buddhism and the imperial dynasties to the modern communist state. In addition, she explores the different factors and forces, ideas and inventions, events and leaders that have shaped the remarkable Chinese civilization we know today; including the technological advances, the population explosion, and the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution. Everything appears, from the influence of leading Chinese historians, poets, novelists and dramatists to the impact of key philosophical and religious ideas, art forms, family patterns, and the Mongul, Manchu and Western intrusions.