'Taking as his leitmotif the cultural evolution of the tripod from humble cooking vessel to preeminent symbol of kingship, Professor Li skillfully extracts from a vast accumulation of archaeological data the material evidence required to magisterially narrate the emergence of China's early civilizations. Professor Li elevated the level of discourse significantly by taking a sophisticated social archaeological approach to the question of the 'Xia'. Professor Li convincingly shows how, far from being a late fiction, the 'Xia' corresponded to a culturally constructed constellation of political concepts, institutions, and 'social memories of different episodes of state building from the Longshan and Erlitou periods'. It was this composite of elements, notionally the 'Xia', which constituted the conceptual framework that co-evolved with the archaic kingship during the Zhou Dynasty. This is a perspective that could only emerge from a thorough mastery of the social, resource, and landscape archaeology of the period, informed by a sound theoretical approach to the material.' David W. Pankenier, Lehigh University, Pennsylvania informed by a sound theoretical approach to the material.' David W.

Pankenier, Lehigh University, Pennsylvania informed by a sound theoretical approach to the material.' David W. Pankenier, Lehigh University, Pennsylvania informed by a sound theoretical approach to the material.' David W. Pankenier, Lehigh University, Pennsylvania.