RecentdiscoveriesofbronzeritualvesselsfromancientChinaprovidethegroundforthiscollectionofessays,whichfocusinparticularonthenatureandpatternsoffamilylineagesasseenfromtheseartifactsfoundintombsthroughoutnorthChina.Basedoncarefulreadingsoftheinscriptionsonthebronzevessels,theeditorandhiseightcontributorsreconstructthegenealogies,kinshipstructures,politicalidentities,andrelationshipnetworksofleadingfamiliesandindividualsfromBronze-AgeChina.
Therichscholarshipalsocontributestoourunderstandingofthearchaeology,chronology,warfare,andlegalstructuresofancientChina.
