YIJIE ZHUANG: The Origins of Hydraulic Societies in China [Research Talk]

The rapid accumulation of archaeological and environmental data has allowed us to revisit some fundamental problems and salient characteristics of Chinese history. In particular, the archaeology of water offers a unique lens for understanding labour organisation, governance structures, and social evolution in ancient China. In this talk, I will present findings from our recent archaeological and palaeo-environmental studies at the late-prehistoric Liangzhu and Pingliangtai sites in Central and South China. These results shed light on the complex and diverse interactions between water, environment, and society across different prehistoric regions. While Wittfogal’s proposition on the central importance of large-scale irrigation systems to the rise of coercive power in ancient China remains informative, it fails to consider the variegated environmental foundations and diverse cultural and economic institutions between different regions, which gave rise to complex patterns of social governance, technologies, and labour coordination.

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 South East Asia and has published many peer-reviewed articles and he has recenetly been surveying at an Iron Age site in Myanmar. He is also the author of

promotes multidisciplinary research, teaching and programming with impact beyond academia, seeking to remedy class, racial, gender, and other inequalities, and to improve mutual understanding in UK-China relations. The MCI is based at the University of Manchester.

Venue accessibility: Please note that you must use the stairs to access the venue. Apologies for any inconvenience caused by this.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Oddfellows Hall (Boardroom), Grosvenor Street, Manchester, United Kingdom