Author: admin

Categories
hst137

Second Real Reflection

Given the circumstances we are all in, learning is different this year. Classes are all online and synchronous, asynchronous, or partially synchronous. Unlike most of my other courses throughout college, this course does not have exams. Personally, having exams to prepare for on a monthly basis works for me; it forces me to be disciplined and study the material. After an exam, however, I am lucky if I can retain the information and go beyond having something sound familiar. Because this course accentuates another way of learning, it balances my other courses. It allows me to slow down and digest the information. I have been able to think and explore as a historian without the fear of grades looming over me. In addition, the interaction with the readings, classmates, and Dr. D’Haeseleer fulfills my learning experience. The format of blog posts and commenting enables me to showcase what I know and address the points that I find interesting and important. It offers freedom in discussion, empowers students to speak their mind, and replaces the need for exams.

Furthermore, this is my second course with this kind of frequent online discussion style. I feel more confident now, in this class, leaving comments and asking questions than I did in my first course.

While skills and techniques acquired in this course make me a better student in any class, they were specifically helpful my CUE (culminating undergraduate experience) course that I am taking simultaneously this semester. I am a biology major. The CUE course topic is about a scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM allows for the 3D viewing of the surface of specimens at a high resolution. There is a semester-long project to create a proposal for an experiment and eventually a primary article that includes the my own photographed SEM images. The project requires reading many, many papers; viewing images, tables, and figures; and interaction with the papers. By interaction, I mean write-ups reflecting on the articles. There is a weekly tracking document due with four sections: an annotated bibliography with at least 200 words, “talking with others,” “identifying the next steps,” and “reflecting on the process.” For the annotated bibliography, I have to pick and choose parts from loads of readings that are relevant and important to my experimental question and state the reason explicitly yet concisely. The annotations mimic our weekly blog posts to find the valuable information. The “talking with others” section encourages me to share where I am currently with the project and helps me refine my project idea(s). These long reflections on the course, not the weekly ones, are similar to the “reflecting on the process” portion of the tracking document. I can sit down and consider the process, such as the challenges, the rewards, and the improvements. In addition, the encouragement (and requirement) to comment helps to speak up both in academic and real life settings.

Categories
hst137

money, Money, MONEY

I have heard the statement–money is a social construct–frequently, ever since I was younger, but I never understood its meaning until I was in high school. Since then, my interpretation was that the value of the actual paper from which money is made is different from the value assigned to money. Money is all relative. Something can have worth from one perspective, but it can be worthless from another. From the presentation slides, I learned that because all the statements included before are true, money not only is a representation, but also can be represented by objects. In Niv Horesh’s Chinese Money in Global Context, the brief history of coinage and paper money on a global scale helps to set the timeline and establish China’s position relative to other countries.

I was not surprised when I read that there were gods of wealth in The Sinister Way by Richard Von Glahn. However, I was very surprised by the specificity of the distinct entities, depending on the circumstance. Furthermore, in popular religion, the main focus, in terms of wealth, was Wulu caishen, the Gods of the Five Paths to Wealth. I was fascinated by the paragraph describing the basic plot of Song and Ming folklore, which has a motif of wealth and Wutong, the cult that formed Wulu caishen (228). Also, there was a gradual association between Wutong and the god of wealth, especially in the sixteenth century.

China Ming Dynasty Silver coins:XI WANG SHANG GONG 49mm*35.4g -14042519005904 Ancient coins Ming Dynasty
Silver coins from Ming Dynasty.

Bibliographic References

Horesh, Niv. Chinese Money in Global Context : Historic Junctures between 600 BCE and 2012. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 2014.

Von Glahn, Richard. The Sinister Way: The Divine and the Demonic in Chinese Religious Culture. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004.

Categories
hst137

Reflection of Textiles

My experience from this week was definitely different from that of prior weeks. At the start of Week 6, I received all this information about textiles: production, technique, consumption, value, and history. It was a lot to absorb, even now; I am still learning. Throughout the week, I started to pay more attention to my clothes–all different kinds. I looked at my socks, sweaters, T-shirts, blouses, trousers, lounge sets, active wear, pajamas, and more. I stretched and touched the fabric, observing the stretchiness and the technique used to create these pieces of clothing. Compared to other weeks, I was able to include my newfound knowledge about textiles to my daily thoughts.

Furthermore, I learned about the monetary values of certain clothing pieces, depending on the region. I had an obvious realization that I should not interpret the information I learn about early China to all of China. There are likely some discrepancies between regions because while there is a national culture, there is also an equally significant local culture that is unique to each province.

Three Things I Learned this Week

  • Means of yarn production: drop spindle spinning, Navajo spinning, and spinning via the wheel.
  • Different kinds of textiles: simple, complex, and silk.
  • Introduction to dyed textiles; process of degumming.

Bibliographic References

Sheng, Angela. “Determining the Value of Textiles in the Tang Dynasty: In Memory of Professor Denis Twitchett (1925-2006)”. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Third Series, 23, no. 2 (2013): 175-95.

Categories
hst137

My Textile Observations

I put on a “textile specialist” hat this week, observing one of my closet staples to figure out its beginnings–“the fibres, dyes, weave structures and patterns” (Sheng 175).

My short-sleeved, V-neck, button-up cardigan was knitted together. I saw interlocking loops when I stretched the fabric. Around the collar, down the buttons, and around the waist hem, the knit is much tighter; there is the least amount of space between the loops, and those areas feel the most dense. The intermediate knitting is around the sleeves. It has more “give” than the tighter regions. The loosest is along the front and back, taking up the majority of the clothing piece. The fabric feels the thinnest, and I do not have to stretch it to see the interlocking loops. It is made from pure cotton. The cardigan was made in China. I bought it from a clothing store called Cos.

Short-Sleeved Cardigan | Endource
A closet staple from Cos.

I would also like to include that I was initially surprised to read that juan-silk was less important and less convenient as an exchange medium in southern China because of its high value (Sheng 184). It took me awhile, but (of course!) it could be due to regional preferences. In northern China, for example, juan-silk was more significant and functioned as money more frequently.

Bibliographic References

Slides (Gdrive link)

Sheng, Angela. “Determining the Value of Textiles in the Tang Dynasty: In Memory of Professor Denis Twitchett (1925-2006)”. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Third Series, 23, no. 2 (2013): 175-95.

Categories
hst137

Reflection of the Cealed Library and the Tang Era

I was pleasantly surprised while reading and commenting on my classmates’ blog posts. I assumed most would choose Option A–as I did–but according to the posts that I read, the majority of them chose Option B, zooming in on one item and introducing it.

In this course so far, I have been maintaining a broad view, learning across the dynasties (Qin, Shang, etc.), to create connections. While I deem it to be important to keep my mind open and consider things generally, it is equally as important to focus on one thing in order to make a thorough analysis. I read others’ blog posts, so I was given the opportunity to study and learn with a narrow focus. By doing so, I was still able to see relationships, in a different sense. For example, one of the blog posts that struck me made an amazing connection between Tang China and Minecraft via Lapis Lazuli, a precious mineral. Seeing parts of our lives intertwine with history makes us value the learning experience a bit more.

Three Things I Learned this Week

  • Various means of learning, especially zoomed-in and zoomed-out learning.
  • The Library Cave at Dunhuang and the contents found.
  • Tang China relative to the Silk Road and other surroundings.

Bibliographic References

Hansen, Valerie. The Open Empire : A History of China to 1800. Second ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2015.

Hansen, Valerie. The Silk Road : A New History with Documents. New York: Oxford University Press, 2017.

Categories
hst137

The Library Cave of the Tang Period

My initial reaction: this week’s material is my favorite thus far. I learned not only about the discovery and the history of the Library Cave at Dunhuang, but also the contents, the documents concealed in the Cave. By reading summaries of the discovered writing from the Tang era, there is less ambiguity in interpretation because it is all recorded straightforwardly, unlike the figurines, statuettes, and other artistic works.

The Cave Adjacent to the Library Cave. Photographed by Aurel Stein in 1907.

Multiple (familiar) terms in the readings struck me from The Silk Road: A New History with Documents. For example, there is a contract regarding tomb plots, which we learned last week. In order to please the predecessors, or “spirits,” that control the burial sites, food sacrifices must be offered to them by the surviving descendents. The spirits, in turn, provide the owner, or “master,” of the tomb and his descendents peace and good fortune. This

The following question was posed by Dr. D’Haeseleer: What differences do you see between “theory” and “practice”? Perhaps I am misunderstanding the question. I do not understand how I would be able to distinguish between theory and practice because based on the documents, they are either all statements rooted in theory or rooted in practice.

Bibliographic References

Hansen, Valerie. The Open Empire : A History of China to 1800. Second ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2015.

Hansen, Valerie. The Silk Road : A New History with Documents. New York: Oxford University Press, 2017.

Categories
hst137

Reflection of the Things Found in the Tombs

As discussed by Armin Selbitschka in “Miniature Tomb Figurines and Models in Pre-Imperial and Early Imperial China: Origins, Development and Significance,” the transition from human sacrifice to figurine inclusion is a topic that I pondered on during the week. One reason that explains the substitution is addressed by Confucian argument: “figurines rather suddenly replaced human sacrifices for moral reasons” (37). Selbitschka highlights that the practice of performing human sacrifices and the use of statuettes overlapped for nearly a millenium–one thousand years (37). A change in ritual and practice over a millenium did not seem “rather sudden” to me.

In order to understand the relationship, or determine if one exists, between the sacrificed humans and the figurines found in the tombs, I have to figure out whether this transition was due to a gradual substitution or an unrelated correlation. More concisely, “The more pertinent question, then, is: did human sacrifices and miniature figurines fulfil similar functions in tombs? (37). With more research, it was determined that “the statuettes clearly represent servants, musicians, soldiers and so forth” (38). Eventually, the tradition of human sacrifice when preparing someone’s tomb was substituted with the statuettes.

Three Things I Learned

  • Regardless of how shocking certain practices may be to me personally, I am in no position to judge because it likely comes from a culture that I do not know anything about.
  • Figurines represent people with different occupations. Their identities can be determined by the position of the body and limbs, showing an action.
  • One’s spot in a tomb indicates ownership, contributing to the idea of a “little empire.”

Bibliographic References

Ledderose, Lothar. Ten Thousand Things : Module and Mass Production in Chinese Art. The A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts, 1998. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2000.

Hung, Wu. The Art of the Yellow Springs: Understanding Chinese Tombs. London: Reaktion Books, 2010.

Selbitschka, Armin. “Miniature Tomb Figurines and Models in Pre-Imperial and Early Imperial China: Origins, Development and Significance.” World Archaeology 47, no. 1 (2015): 20-44.

Categories
hst137

First Real Reflection

My learning in this course so far has exceeded my expectations. To be candid, I had somewhat strong doubts about a completely asynchronous course. As I mentioned in my introductory post to the Cloud Lounge, when I am inside a classroom, I am present and ready to learn. However, when we transitioned to remote learning last semester, I seriously struggled with paying attention and understanding the content. My initial thoughts have been slowly changing, now that we are several weeks into the fall semester. Perhaps it was my worried mindset that pushed me to put extra effort and brain power into the weekly assignments, resulting in more focused and effective learning. Another reason could be the consistent and organized workload as well as encouraged interactions between classmates.

In terms of participation, the interactions via commenting on blog posts makes it easier to find another layer to address, consider another perspective, and reflect on my own written thoughts. This form of participation is beneficial because I have to read more on the topic or read about the other topics that I did not focus on in order to formulate meaningful responses to and stimulating questions for my classmates.

One part that I am majorly lacking in is preparation. I am so afraid of submitting late work that I try to finish it immediately, as soon as it is assigned. While this plan itself is a pro, a con that comes along with it is cursory reading. My understanding of the topic is shallow by the time I write my initial posts, and it is obvious. I will try to improve my initial posts by giving myself more time to read the material. Additionally, I will maximize my efficiency when reading the literary works and observing the other contents by removing distractions (my phone and other opened tabs) before starting. I realized that I digest the newfound information throughout the week by interacting and participating in the way mentioned before. At the end of the week, I use the discussions–my comments and initial post as well as others’ comments and initial posts–to kickstart my reflection. They provide important insights that I did not mention at all or could expand on. My end-of-the-week reflections, I believe, show a growth in my knowledge by considering other perspectives and including more substance than my initial posts. As I compare my reflections with my classmates, nevertheless, I realize that mine are more vague. I will try to be more explicit and clear with my words and thoughts.

I try to make connections, week by week, adding little strokes to the bigger picture. Still, I think that the connections and patterns that I actually notice are too insignificant or not insightful enough to consider myself to be a historian, that is if I can even see the connections and patterns. I think the question of where or in whom does the power lie is embedded into each week’s learning. This thought leads me to consider the hows and especially the whys.

Categories
hst137

Inside Tombs of Early China

The assigned readings and other works helped to establish my basic knowledge about the tombs of ancient China, especially Wu Hung’s The Art of the Yellow Springs: Understanding Chinese Tombs. Wu makes a statement that I found striking yet helped me to digest the mountains of information that follow: “The moment of entombment thus marks a radical shift in the identity and meaning of the underground chamber and their contents” (8). He carries on by explaining that the bodies and the contents prior to concealing the tomb are all under scrutiny, but once enclosed, they can no longer be seen by human eyes and are no longer part of this world.

Now, I am starting to see the connections between the weekly content learned, such as the value of art and religion. Wu describes the discovery of the tomb of Queen Fu Hao of the Shang Dynasty. In it, 200 monumental bronze vessels, 500 bone carvings, and 200 bronze weapons (11). As I learn about where all these objects ultimately reside and why, I unearth another layer of connections, answers, as well as questions. The term, “little empires,” used by Armin Selbitschka in “Miniature Tomb Figurines and Models in Pre-Imperial and Early Imperial China: Origins, Development and Significance,” indicated the importance of the afterlife, the objects, like the miniature figurines, tomb assembly, and so on for people of early China.

Female Dancer, Earthenware with slip and pigment, China
Female Dancer of second century B.C.E, China.

Hung, Wu. The Art of the Yellow Springs: Understanding Chinese Tombs. London: Reaktion Books, 2010.

Selbitschka, Armin. “Miniature Tomb Figurines and Models in Pre-Imperial and Early Imperial China: Origins, Development and Significance.” World Archaeology 47, no. 1 (2015): 20-44.

Gallery of Han tomb objects: Google Arts and Culture collection of Mawangdui objects and list of objects from the MET (NYC)

Categories
hst137

Reflection of the Shang Dynasty through Bronze and Bones

For my initial post, I read content on bronze casting. Luckily, throughout the week, most of my classmates concentrated on bone carving. Reading their blog posts incentivized me to consider ideas on a grander, broader scale and naturally compare between the two means of record-keeping. One such question that continually arose was the difference between bronze and bone, in terms of technique, usage, and societal understanding.

What I found interesting was that the passages about bronze casting highlighted the how, the intricacies of creating the final bronze products, such as the division of labor and technical skill, while those about bone carving emphasized the why, the purpose. The engravings in bronze were formed by utilizing negative space of specifically-made contraptions. Both bone and bronze seem to carry importance in the realm of divinity. However, they were used differently. The bronze was often included in rituals and burials, and the bones were used to communicate with predecessors and formulate predictions.

I ended this week with more questions than when it started, but I learned about the Shang Dynasty’s interpretation of afterlife and their investments in animals and metals.

Things I Learned this Week

  • The techniques of bronze casting and bone engraving.
  • The purpose of each.
  • The Shang Dynasty valued records and history, as shown by ancestral communication and record-keeping.

Bibliographic References

Hansen, Valerie. “Chapter 1: The Beginnings of the Written Record”. In The Open Empire: A History of China to 1800, 18-55. Seconded. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2015.

Keightley, David. “Chapter 1: The Oracle Bone Inscriptions of the Late Shang Dynasty”. Sources of Chinese Tradition, Vol. 1: From Earliest Times to 1600, edited by W. deBary et al. New York: Columbia Univ. Press, 1999.

Keightley, David N. Sources of Shang History: The Oracle-Bone Inscriptions of Bronze Age China. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1978.

Horowitz, Joshua. “Literacy in Ancient China”. In People and Their Stuff: A History of China in Objects Now Preserved in North America. URL: http://scalar.tdh.bergbuilds.domains/hst137/chapter-1-the-shang-dynasty

Ledderose, Lothar. “Casting Bronze the Complicated Way” Chapter 2 in Ten Thousand Things: Module and Mass Production in Chinese Art. The A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts, 1998. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2000.

css.php