24 Hours in Ancient China: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There

by Yijie Zhuang

Overview

Spend 24 hours with the ancient Chinese.

The year is AD 17. The Han dynasty is in power and we are in and around Chang’ an, the capital and one of the most developed regions of the empire, which is enjoying a prolonged economic and cultural pinnacle.

There are extraordinary palaces, military bases and city walls. Households are benefitting from the invention of numerous agricultural technologies and an unprecedented level of craft production, which includes ceramics, bronzes, iron objects and many other elaborate goods.

This is an age that is both vibrant and innovative but also riven with conflict and contradictions. For as successful as the empire is, the reality is that life for the ordinary inhabitants is still about the same problems: earning money, work struggles and family dramas.

Discover what one day in ancient China is like by spending twenty-four hours with the people who lived there. Every hour we meet a different person – from dancers to doctors, priests to convicts, textile workers to tomb looters – and build a multi-layered picture of the social fabric of ancient China and this fascinating period in history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781789296488
Publisher:	Michael O'Mara Books
Publication date:	02/18/2025
Series:	24 Hours in Ancient History
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.75(h) x (d)

About the Author

Dr Yijie Zhuang obtained his PhD in archaeology from Cambridge University and is now as Associate Professor in Chinese archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. He is primarily interested in ancient water-management systems and agricultural histories of China and Southeast Asia and has published many peer-reviewed articles and he has recently been surveying at an Iron Age site in Myanmar. He edited 30 Second Ancient China (Ivy Press).

Table of Contents

Contents
Introduction 10
子 SEVENTH HOUR OF THE NIGHT (00.00–01.00)
The Doctor Dispenses a Prescription 15
丑 EIGHTH HOUR OF THE NIGHT (01.00–02.00)
The Tomb Robber Strikes Out 24
丑 NINTH HOUR OF THE NIGHT (02.00–03.00)
The Midwife Delivers her Grandchild 34
寅 TENTH HOUR OF THE NIGHT (03.00–04.00)
The Stablehand Prepares to Complain 44
寅 ELEVENTH HOUR OF THE NIGHT (04.00–05.00)
The Housewife at the Flour Mill 55
卯 TWELFTH HOUR OF THE NIGHT (05.00–06.00)
The Bronze Worker Consults a Colleague 64
卯 FIRST HOUR OF THE DAY (06.00–07.00)
The Canal Worker is Nostalgic 76
辰 SECOND HOUR OF THE DAY (07.00–08.00)
The Teacher Starts his Class 85
辰 THIRD HOUR OF THE DAY (08.00–09.00)
The Textile Worker Picks Mulberry Leaves 94
巳 FOURTH HOUR OF THE DAY (09.00–10.00)
The Tomb Sculptor Trains his Apprentices 105
巳 FIFTH HOUR OF THE DAY (10.00–11.00)
The Salt Worker Harvests Brine 115
午 SIXTH HOUR OF THE DAY (11.00–12.00)
The Priest Argues with a Friend 125
午 SEVENTH HOUR OF THE DAY (12.00–13.00)
The Warden of the Beacon Tower Collects Hay 135
未 EIGHTH HOUR OF THE DAY (13.00–14.00)
The Granary Keeper is Inspected 145
未 NINTH HOUR OF THE DAY (14.00–15.00)
The Courier Approaches his Destination 156
酉 TENTH HOUR OF THE DAY (15.00–16.00)
The Farmer Takes a Break 167
申 ELEVENTH HOUR OF THE DAY (16.00–17.00)
The Convict Arrives at his Destination 175
酉 TWELFTH HOUR OF THE DAY (17.00–18.00)
The Kiln Worker Feels Hounded 185
酉 FIRST HOUR OF THE NIGHT (18.00–19.00)
The Chef Prepares a Banquet 195
戌 SECOND HOUR OF THE NIGHT (19.00–20.00)
The Consort’s Maid is Distressed 205
戌 THIRD HOUR OF THE NIGHT (20.00–21.00)
The Scribe Comes to a Decision 216
亥 FOURTH HOUR OF THE NIGHT (21.00–22.00)
The Performer Finishes her Act 227
亥 FIFTH HOUR OF THE NIGHT (22.00–23.00)
The Royal Maid Prepares a Bath 239
子 SIXTH HOUR OF THE NIGHT (23.00–00.00)
The Soldier Fights for his Life 248
Conclusion 257
Acknowledgements 259
Bibliography 260
List of Illustrations 262
Index 264