Introduction

Summary

This chapter outlines a key debate in the study of the Han Empire that is currently represented by proponents of a “fictive” versus “realist” view of empire building in early China. It makes a case for the book’s archaeological approach, namely the potential for recently excavated materials to trace the emergence of a constellation of universal ideas about imperialism, cultural unity, and sovereignty in China. These ideas will be examined along four domains of Han sociopolitical life – Part i Imperial Geography, Part ii Agriculture and Foodways, Part iii Craft Industries, and Part iv Ritual – as documented in core and frontier regions.