Jessica Rawson
Biographic Data
| ID | 706271 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Jessica Rawson |
| GIVEN NAMES | Jessica |
| FAMILY NAME | Rawson |
| SIGNATURE | RAWSON J |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Oxford |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-6733-6866 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 38 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 177 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 38 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1983 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 9 |
Re-examining the Chronological Framework and Human Occupation Pattern of the North Loess Plateau Using Bayesian Modelling
In 2012, the 400-hectare Shimao site ( 2200–1700 cal BC ) in the North Loess Plateau was recognised as a late Neolithic stone fortification. Subsequently, radiocarbon dates from Shimao and neighbouring sites including Dakou, Xinhua and Zhukaigou became available. Given the lack of a comprehensive analysis of the chronological sequence in the region, this study conducts a thorough review of all published radiocarbon dates from the North Loess Plat…
China
China
China
Life and Afterlife in Ancient China
The three millennia up to the establishment of the first imperial Qin dynasty in 221 BC cemented many of the distinctive elements of Chinese civilization still in place today: an extraordinarily challenging geography and environment; formidable infrastructure; a society based on the strict hierarchy of the family; a shared written script of characters; a cuisine founded on rice and millet; a material culture of ceramics, bronze, silk, and jade; a…
Annual Bibliography
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Problem of Place, Space and Partition in Bhisham Sahni’s Novel Tamas
Human beings adapt themselves according to the environment they live in and create their own space among others for better survival in society. The geographical and societal space they acquire gives them a sense of security and a sense of belongingness. If this space is taken away by dislocating them, it leads to mental and physical vacuum which is experienced across generations. A similar problem of space can be traced back in the history of Ind…
Seeking Horses
Horses and chariots—and the associated technology and expertise—derived from the steppe contributed to the success of the Zhou conquest of the Shang in c. 1045 BC and remained important throughout Zhou rule in ancient China. On the basis of material cultural patterns, including the style and material used in bridle cheek-pieces found in tombs of the late second and early first millennium BC, this paper points to a northern origin for Zhou horses.…
Resilience of Woman in Amrita Pritam’s Pinjar
During Independence of the Nation, where the country was being divided on the bases of religion, women were being victimized, oppressed and traumatized for being a ‘Woman’. This has been rendered in writings of various writers who have shown an agonizing and harrowing condition of women by citing events which occurred during partition of India and Pakistan. But this was only one side of the coin as on the other side there were women who strongly …
Synthesis of stable isotopic data for human bone collagen
Ancient China is one of the most important regions for the development of agriculture in human history, contributing the two key crops millet and rice. Meanwhile, it was closely connected to the wider Eurasian network, receiving wheat and barley from the West. Because of the large isotopic differences between C 3 and C 4 crops, we are able to track their changing importance in different regions of China and underlying connections to their cultura…
Chariotry and Prone Burials
In place of the traditional view that raids and invasion from the north introduced new weapons and chariots to the Shang (c. 1200 BC), we argue that archaeological evidence illustrates the presence of several regional groups at or near the late Shang centre, Anyang. Here we review burial practices at Anyang dating to the late second millennium BC, and describe a substantial group of prone burials that reflect a ritual practice contrasting with th…
From Alloy Composition to Alloying Practice
We propose a new methodology based on standard statistical processes for displaying and rigorously comparing the alloy composition of archaeological bronze alloys. Although traditional approaches using visual comparisons of histograms of alloying elements in an assemblage of archaeological objects are adequate for observing differences between these distributions, we argue that differences in sample size cannot be adequately accounted for without…
Panlongcheng, Zhengzhou and the Movement of Metal in Early Bronze Age China
The role of Panlongcheng—a walled settlement on the Yangtze River with obvious links to the Erligang capital at Zhengzhou, ~ 500 km to the north—in early Bronze Age China has been the subject of much debate. Panlongcheng is a typical Erligang site (~ 1500–1300 BC), with evidence for people of elite status, unlike any other site apart from Zhengzhou itself. The tombs and bronzes at Panlongcheng, as well as other materials, closely resemble those a…
China's major Late Neolithic centres and the rise of Erlitou
Ordering the material world of the Western Zhou
A New Approach to the Chronology of Caves 268/272/275 in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes
The construction chronology of three of the earliest Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes (Caves 268, 272, and 275) has been the subject of ongoing debate for over half a century. This chronology is a crucial topic in terms of further understanding of the establishment of the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, early Buddhism in the Gansu corridor, and its relationship with Buddhism developed in the Central Plains. Building upon archaeological, art historical and radioc…
Application of Kernel Density Estimates to Lead Isotope Compositions of Bronzes from Ningxia, North‐West China
The aim of this paper is to apply kernel density estimates (KDEs) to the visualization and interpretation of lead isotope data from bronze assemblages found along the northern border of central China, here designated as the Arc. New lead isotope analyses of 30 leaded tin–bronze artefacts from the Wangdahu cemetery ( c .500–300 bc ) in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, north‐west China, provide the basis for the discussion. By using multivariate …
Some Recently Rediscovered Analyses of Chinese Bronzes from Oxford
We report here the rediscovery of the chemical analyses of approximately 540 Chinese bronze objects, carried out in RLAHA in the late 1950s by optical emission spectrometry. Although largely of historical interest, they do in fact even now approximately double the number analyses of Chinese bronze objects that contain data on both major and minor elements. In fact, the other major equivalent data sets, from the Freer Gallery and the Sackler Colle…
Bronze Age metal circulation in China
Shimao and Erlitou
Over the last five years, excavation of a large, stone, fortified site at Shimao, on the northern edge of the Loess Plateau in Shaanxi Province, China, has radically changed our understanding of the events that precipitated the development of the first bronze casting in central China at Erlitou (Figure 1). An international conference on the Shimao site, held at Shenmu in August 2016, explored many aspects of this major discovery
Revisiting lead isotope data in Shang and Western Zhou bronzes
China and the steppe
Tracing the flows of copper and copper alloys in the Early Iron Age societies of the eastern Eurasian steppe
Ordering the Exotic
Ancient China, art and archaeology
Panlongcheng, Zhengzhou and the Movement of Metal in Early Bronze Age China
The role of Panlongcheng—a walled settlement on the Yangtze River with obvious links to the Erligang capital at Zhengzhou, ~ 500 km to the north—in early Bronze Age China has been the subject of much debate. Panlongcheng is a typical Erligang site (~ 1500–1300 BC), with evidence for people of elite status, unlike any other site apart from Zhengzhou itself. The tombs and bronzes at Panlongcheng, as well as other materials, closely resemble those a…
Revisiting lead isotope data in Shang and Western Zhou bronzes
China and the steppe
Bronze Age metal circulation in China
Chariotry and Prone Burials
In place of the traditional view that raids and invasion from the north introduced new weapons and chariots to the Shang (c. 1200 BC), we argue that archaeological evidence illustrates the presence of several regional groups at or near the late Shang centre, Anyang. Here we review burial practices at Anyang dating to the late second millennium BC, and describe a substantial group of prone burials that reflect a ritual practice contrasting with th…
Tracing the flows of copper and copper alloys in the Early Iron Age societies of the eastern Eurasian steppe
Seeking Horses
Horses and chariots—and the associated technology and expertise—derived from the steppe contributed to the success of the Zhou conquest of the Shang in c. 1045 BC and remained important throughout Zhou rule in ancient China. On the basis of material cultural patterns, including the style and material used in bridle cheek-pieces found in tombs of the late second and early first millennium BC, this paper points to a northern origin for Zhou horses.…
From Alloy Composition to Alloying Practice
We propose a new methodology based on standard statistical processes for displaying and rigorously comparing the alloy composition of archaeological bronze alloys. Although traditional approaches using visual comparisons of histograms of alloying elements in an assemblage of archaeological objects are adequate for observing differences between these distributions, we argue that differences in sample size cannot be adequately accounted for without…
China's major Late Neolithic centres and the rise of Erlitou
Synthesis of stable isotopic data for human bone collagen
Ancient China is one of the most important regions for the development of agriculture in human history, contributing the two key crops millet and rice. Meanwhile, it was closely connected to the wider Eurasian network, receiving wheat and barley from the West. Because of the large isotopic differences between C 3 and C 4 crops, we are able to track their changing importance in different regions of China and underlying connections to their cultura…
Some Recently Rediscovered Analyses of Chinese Bronzes from Oxford
We report here the rediscovery of the chemical analyses of approximately 540 Chinese bronze objects, carried out in RLAHA in the late 1950s by optical emission spectrometry. Although largely of historical interest, they do in fact even now approximately double the number analyses of Chinese bronze objects that contain data on both major and minor elements. In fact, the other major equivalent data sets, from the Freer Gallery and the Sackler Colle…
Shimao and Erlitou
Over the last five years, excavation of a large, stone, fortified site at Shimao, on the northern edge of the Loess Plateau in Shaanxi Province, China, has radically changed our understanding of the events that precipitated the development of the first bronze casting in central China at Erlitou (Figure 1). An international conference on the Shimao site, held at Shenmu in August 2016, explored many aspects of this major discovery
Application of Kernel Density Estimates to Lead Isotope Compositions of Bronzes from Ningxia, North‐West China
The aim of this paper is to apply kernel density estimates (KDEs) to the visualization and interpretation of lead isotope data from bronze assemblages found along the northern border of central China, here designated as the Arc. New lead isotope analyses of 30 leaded tin–bronze artefacts from the Wangdahu cemetery ( c .500–300 bc ) in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, north‐west China, provide the basis for the discussion. By using multivariate …
Ordering the material world of the Western Zhou
The power of images
Elaborately glazed Chinese pottery figures of camels and servants, dating to the Tang dynasty (A.D. 618-906), have been much prized by collectors and museums over the last three quarters of a century. They have been readily admired as a category of sculpture, but little attention has been paid to their functions within the tomb complex. An examination of the tomb of the First Emperor (d. 210 B.C.) reveals tomb figures as just one part of a large …
Inside out
Highly coloured, lead glazed ceramic vessels of the early Tang period, known as sancai, or three colour ware, take on unusual shapes and decoration often reminiscent of earlier metalwork from Iran. The paper examines possible sources of this flamboyant and apparently outside appearance to argue that the sancai was not directly based on Iranian metal work or ceramics. Rather the wares were produced in a context in which the Tang seem to have wishe…
Ancient Chinese ritual bronzes
The great cast bronzes of China are today deservedly celebrated for their splendour and sheer size. By looking behind that surface impression, and into the characters of their find-contexts, one can - as for any class of artefact - see behind what they are for us towards what they were in their own time
Re-examining the Chronological Framework and Human Occupation Pattern of the North Loess Plateau Using Bayesian Modelling
In 2012, the 400-hectare Shimao site ( 2200–1700 cal BC ) in the North Loess Plateau was recognised as a late Neolithic stone fortification. Subsequently, radiocarbon dates from Shimao and neighbouring sites including Dakou, Xinhua and Zhukaigou became available. Given the lack of a comprehensive analysis of the chronological sequence in the region, this study conducts a thorough review of all published radiocarbon dates from the North Loess Plat…
A New Approach to the Chronology of Caves 268/272/275 in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes
The construction chronology of three of the earliest Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes (Caves 268, 272, and 275) has been the subject of ongoing debate for over half a century. This chronology is a crucial topic in terms of further understanding of the establishment of the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, early Buddhism in the Gansu corridor, and its relationship with Buddhism developed in the Central Plains. Building upon archaeological, art historical and radioc…
New Horizons in Chinese Art and Archaeology
The Great Bronze Age of China, an exhibition from the People's Republic of China edited by Wen Fong , New York and London: Thames & Hudson, 1980, 401 pp., 142 ills, 120 colour pls, £20 Out of China's Earth, Archaeological Discoveries in the People's Republic of China, by Qian Hao, Chen Heyi and Ru Suichu , London: Frederick Muller and Beijing: China Pictorial, 1981, 206 pp., 286 ills, mainly in colour, £25 The First Emperor of China, by Arthur Co…
Late Western Zhou
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Chu Influences on the Development of Han bronze vessels
On a souvent remarqué que des changements sont intervenus dans le répertoire des vases en bronze au début des Han. Dans cet article sont étudiés certains de ces changements vus sous l'angle de l'influence que l'ancien royaume de Chu exerçait encore à l'époque Han. Un certain nombre de types de vases parmi les plus importants dérivent de laques méridionaux, y compris les coupes à oreilles pour le vin et les vases cylindriques connus sous les noms …
Ancient Chinese ritual bronzes
The great cast bronzes of China are today deservedly celebrated for their splendour and sheer size. By looking behind that surface impression, and into the characters of their find-contexts, one can - as for any class of artefact - see behind what they are for us towards what they were in their own time
Sources of Western Zhou History
Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing
Jade in the Early Neolithic period animal figures from the Late Neolithic to Western Zhou periods incised designs from the Shang and Western Zhou periods discs, pendants and ornaments from the Eastern Zhou period human figures from the Shang to Han dynasty ornaments of the Tang to Yuan dynasties ornaments of the Ming and Qing dynasties later animal and human figures jade vessels and decorative pieces
Das Alte China
Western Zhou Archaeology
The Eternal Palaces of the Western Han
Deux decouvertes archeologiques recentes, les guerriers en terre-cuite du premier empereur Qin (qui regna de 221 a 10 av. J.-C.) et les costumes de jade de la famille imperiale des Hans (206 av. J.-C.-220 apr. J.-C.) ont ete les pieces centrales de plusieurs grandes expositions. Cependant, nous ne nous sommes pas poses la question de la compatibilite de ces objets avec notre vision traditionnelle de la Chine ancienne. L'auteur de cet article sout…
The power of images
Elaborately glazed Chinese pottery figures of camels and servants, dating to the Tang dynasty (A.D. 618-906), have been much prized by collectors and museums over the last three quarters of a century. They have been readily admired as a category of sculpture, but little attention has been paid to their functions within the tomb complex. An examination of the tomb of the First Emperor (d. 210 B.C.) reveals tomb figures as just one part of a large …
The Chinese Hill Censer, boshan lu
Alors que les brûle-parfums sont bien connus dans l'Asie de l'Ouest aux époques anciennes, ils ne semblent pas avoir été en usage en Chine avant les VIe ou Ve siècles avant notre ère, époque où ils sont encore rares. Cet article est consacré à l'introduction en Chine d'un type particulier de brûle-parfum dont le couvercle conique en forme de montagne repose sur la coupe où se trouvait l'encens. Généralement, le pied est haut et peut représenter u…
In Search of Ancient Red Beads and Carved Jade in Modern China
Les découvertes archéologiques récentes ont démontré que la réutilisation d'objets anciens est un phénomène très répandu dans l'art de la taille du jade en Chine à l'Âge du bronze. De plus, les tombes princières de Chine du Nord datant du Xe au VIIe siècle contiennent souvent de grandes quantités de perles en cornaline (agate rouge). À l'origine, il semble que de telles perles n'ont pas été produites en Chine, mais qu'il s'agit d'objets importés …
Inside out
Highly coloured, lead glazed ceramic vessels of the early Tang period, known as sancai, or three colour ware, take on unusual shapes and decoration often reminiscent of earlier metalwork from Iran. The paper examines possible sources of this flamboyant and apparently outside appearance to argue that the sancai was not directly based on Iranian metal work or ceramics. Rather the wares were produced in a context in which the Tang seem to have wishe…
Ordering the Exotic
Tracing the flows of copper and copper alloys in the Early Iron Age societies of the eastern Eurasian steppe
Bronze Age metal circulation in China
Shimao and Erlitou
Over the last five years, excavation of a large, stone, fortified site at Shimao, on the northern edge of the Loess Plateau in Shaanxi Province, China, has radically changed our understanding of the events that precipitated the development of the first bronze casting in central China at Erlitou (Figure 1). An international conference on the Shimao site, held at Shenmu in August 2016, explored many aspects of this major discovery
Revisiting lead isotope data in Shang and Western Zhou bronzes
China and the steppe
Ordering the material world of the Western Zhou
A New Approach to the Chronology of Caves 268/272/275 in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes
The construction chronology of three of the earliest Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes (Caves 268, 272, and 275) has been the subject of ongoing debate for over half a century. This chronology is a crucial topic in terms of further understanding of the establishment of the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, early Buddhism in the Gansu corridor, and its relationship with Buddhism developed in the Central Plains. Building upon archaeological, art historical and radioc…
Application of Kernel Density Estimates to Lead Isotope Compositions of Bronzes from Ningxia, North‐West China
The aim of this paper is to apply kernel density estimates (KDEs) to the visualization and interpretation of lead isotope data from bronze assemblages found along the northern border of central China, here designated as the Arc. New lead isotope analyses of 30 leaded tin–bronze artefacts from the Wangdahu cemetery ( c .500–300 bc ) in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, north‐west China, provide the basis for the discussion. By using multivariate …
Some Recently Rediscovered Analyses of Chinese Bronzes from Oxford
We report here the rediscovery of the chemical analyses of approximately 540 Chinese bronze objects, carried out in RLAHA in the late 1950s by optical emission spectrometry. Although largely of historical interest, they do in fact even now approximately double the number analyses of Chinese bronze objects that contain data on both major and minor elements. In fact, the other major equivalent data sets, from the Freer Gallery and the Sackler Colle…
From Alloy Composition to Alloying Practice
We propose a new methodology based on standard statistical processes for displaying and rigorously comparing the alloy composition of archaeological bronze alloys. Although traditional approaches using visual comparisons of histograms of alloying elements in an assemblage of archaeological objects are adequate for observing differences between these distributions, we argue that differences in sample size cannot be adequately accounted for without…
Panlongcheng, Zhengzhou and the Movement of Metal in Early Bronze Age China
The role of Panlongcheng—a walled settlement on the Yangtze River with obvious links to the Erligang capital at Zhengzhou, ~ 500 km to the north—in early Bronze Age China has been the subject of much debate. Panlongcheng is a typical Erligang site (~ 1500–1300 BC), with evidence for people of elite status, unlike any other site apart from Zhengzhou itself. The tombs and bronzes at Panlongcheng, as well as other materials, closely resemble those a…
Archaeology (29 works) · History (25 works) · China (22 works) · Ancient history (20 works) · Geography (18 works) · Chinese history and philosophy (17 works) · Art (16 works) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (14 works) · Bronze (11 works) · Eurasian Exchange Networks (9 works)