Table of contents : Introduction: the creation of the universe -- Peking man: early humans in China -- "Surprise and delight:" the discovery of China's first culture -- Longshan: China's first civilization -- Everybody talks about the weather: agriculture and oracles -- Dragon bones and hidden treasures: the Shang court -- "Heaven is brightly awesome:" the western Zhou era and the mandate of heaven -- Who's in charge?: the rise of the hegemons -- The story of Shensheng: sacrifice and statehood -- From bronze to plastic: crafts in everyday life -- A wise man and his followers: Confucius and Confucianism -- The way: Laozi -- The art of war: warfare in ancient China -- China goes imperial: the rise of the unified state -- Kings and commoners: Liu Bang and the founding of the Han dynasty -- Who's Chinese?: ethnic groups and China -- Hard work and humility: women in ancient China -- New ways of doing things: inventions and technology -- Power and personality: Wang Mang -- A new relationship with the gods: the rise of Daoism -- "A golden man": Buddhism and the Silk Road -- "Someone with the talent to command": a general takes charge -- A "barbarian" leader: the three kingdoms and Liu Yuan -- A foreign god unites China: Buddhism after the Han.