Ancient Chinese Encyclopedia of Technology

Ancient Chinese Encyclopedia of Technology
Author: Jun Wenren
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 255
Release: 2014-10-29
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1136267883

This book presents the first translation into English of the full text of the Kaogong ji. This classic work, described by the great scholar of the history of Chinese science and technology Joseph Needham as "the most important document for the study of ancient Chinese technology", dates from the fifth century BC and forms part of the Zhouli (The Rites of the Zhou Dynasty), one of the great Confucian classics. The text itself describes the techniques of working and the technologies used by over twenty different kinds of craftsmen and artificers, such as metal workers, chariot makers, weapon makers, music instrument makers, potters and master builders. This edition, besides providing the full text in English, also provides a substantial introduction and other supporting explanatory material, over one hundred illustrations of ancient Chinese artefacts, and the original Chinese text itself.

The Routledge Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Culture

The Routledge Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Culture
Author: Sin-wai Chan
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 682
Release: 2019-12-06
Genre: Foreign Language Study
ISBN: 1315453479

The Routledge Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Culture offers an in-depth discussion of cultural aspects of China from the ancient period to the pre-modern era, lasting over 5,000 years, comprised of 7,000 word pieces by more than 20 world-leading academics and experts. Addressing areas such as China studies, cultural studies, cultural management, and more specific areas – such as religion, opera, Chinese painting, Chinese calligraphy, material culture, performing arts, and visual arts – this encyclopedia covers all major aspects of traditional Chinese culture. The volume is intended to be a detailed reference for graduate students on a variety of courses, and also for undergraduate students on survey courses to Chinese culture.

The Crafting of the 10,000 Things

The Crafting of the 10,000 Things
Author: Dagmar Schäfer
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2011-04-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0226735850

The last decades of the Ming dynasty, though plagued by chaos and destruction, saw a significant increase of publications that examined advances in knowledge and technology. Among the numerous guides and reference books that appeared during this period was a series of texts by Song Yingxing (1587–1666?), a minor local official living in southern China. His Tiangong kaiwu, the longest and most prominent of these works, documents the extraction and processing of raw materials and the manufacture of goods essential to everyday life, from yeast and wine to paper and ink to boats, carts, and firearms. In The Crafting of the 10,000 Things, Dagmar Schäfer probes this fascinating text and the legacy of its author to shed new light on the development of scientific thinking in China, the purpose of technical writing, and its role in and effects on Chinese history. Meticulously unfolding the layers of Song’s personal and cultural life, Schäfer chronicles the factors that motivated Song to transform practical knowledge into written culture. She then examines how Song gained, assessed, and ultimately presented knowledge, and in doing so articulates this era’s approaches to rationality, truth, and belief in the study of nature and culture alike. Finally, Schäfer places Song’s efforts in conjunction with the work of other Chinese philosophers and writers, before, during, and after his time, and argues that these writings demonstrate collectively a uniquely Chinese way of authorizing technology as a legitimate field of scholarly concern and philosophical knowledge. Offering an overview of a thousand years of scholarship, The Crafting of the 10,000 Things explains the role of technology and crafts in a culture that had an outstandingly successful tradition in this field and was a crucial influence on the technical development of Europe on the eve of the Industrial Revolution.

Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology

Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology
Author: Mehdi Khosrow-Pour
Publisher: IGI Global Snippet
Total Pages: 4292
Release: 2009
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 9781605660264

"This set of books represents a detailed compendium of authoritative, research-based entries that define the contemporary state of knowledge on technology"--Provided by publisher.

Berkshire Encyclopedia of China

Berkshire Encyclopedia of China
Author: Linsun Zheng
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2009
Genre: China
ISBN: 9780190622671

With its coverage of environmental issues, global economics, online communications, and the latest political developments, the five-volume Berkshire Encyclopedia of China is truly a 21st-century work. While these volumes include many articles about China's earliest history, the Encyclopedia of China is focused on the events, concepts, and people that matter today.

Ancient Chinese Inventions

Ancient Chinese Inventions
Author: Yinke Deng
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 163
Release: 2011-03-03
Genre: History
ISBN: 0521186927

Ancient Chinese Inventions provides an illustrated introduction to the numerous scientific and technological inventions to which China can lay claim.

Kao Gong Ji

Kao Gong Ji
Author:
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 238
Release: 2019-12-09
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9004416943

In Kao Gong Ji: The World’s Oldest Encyclopaedia of Technologies, Guan Zengjian and Konrad Herrmann offer an English translation and commentary of the first technological encyclopaedia in China. This work came into being around the 5th century C.E. and contains descriptions of thirty technologies used at the time. Most prominent are bronze casting, the manufacture of carriages and weapons, a metrological standard, the making of musical instruments, and the planning of cities. The technologies, including the manufacturing process and quality assurance, are based on standardization and modularization. In several commentaries, the editors show to which degree the descriptions of Kao Gong Ji correspond to archaeological findings. Revised and updated translation from the Chinese edition:《考工记: 翻译与评注》(ISBN: 978-7-313-12133-2) by Guan Zengjian, © Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press 2014. Published by Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press.

The Shorter Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 5

The Shorter Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 5
Author: Joseph Needham
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 388
Release: 1978
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780521467735

This fifth volume abridgement of Joseph Needham's monumental work is concerned with the staggering civil engineering feats made in early and medieval China.

Ancient Chinese Warfare

Ancient Chinese Warfare
Author: Ralph D. Sawyer
Publisher: Basic Books
Total Pages: 578
Release: 2011-03-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 0465023347

The history of China is a history of warfare. Rarely in its 3,000-year existence has the country not been beset by war, rebellion, or raids. Warfare was a primary source of innovation, social evolution, and material progress in the Legendary Era, Hsia dynasty, and Shang dynasty -- indeed, war was the force that formed the first cohesive Chinese empire, setting China on a trajectory of state building and aggressive activity that continues to this day. In Ancient Chinese Warfare, a preeminent expert on Chinese military history uses recently recovered documents and archaeological findings to construct a comprehensive guide to the developing technologies, strategies, and logistics of ancient Chinese militarism. The result is a definitive look at the tools and methods that won wars and shaped culture in ancient China.

The Oxford Handbook of Engineering and Technology in the Classical World

The Oxford Handbook of Engineering and Technology in the Classical World
Author: John Peter Oleson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 884
Release: 2008
Genre: History
ISBN: 0199734852

Nearly every aspect of daily life in the Mediterranean world and Europe during the florescence of the Greek and Roman cultures is relevant to engineering and technology. This text highlights the accomplishments of the ancient societies, the research problems, and stimulates further progress in the history of ancient technology.