A leading scholar in the United States on Chinese archaeology challenges long-standing conceptions of the rise of political authority in ancient China. Questioning Marx's concept of an "Asiatic" mode of production, Wittfogel's "hydraulic hypothesis," and cultural-materialist theories on the importance of technology, K. C. Chang builds an impressive counterargument, one which ranges widely from recent archaeological discoveries to studies of mythology, ancient Chinese poetry, and the iconography of Shang food vessels.

This is the first book in a series wherein Late Shang to Zhou dynasty ritual bronze vessels with inscriptions that have been found in the Philippines will be documented including: details, background, photographs, inscriptions, relevant and historical information. Part 1 focuses on bronze ritual wine vessels with inscriptions that have been unearthed in the Philippines.