"Feudalism" and Western Zhou China: A Criticism

Abstract

RECENT archaeological excavations in China have greatly expanded our knowledge about the Western Zhou pe iod of Chinese history. Especially in the past two decades, a half dozen cemeteries belonging to the regional states Jin ?, Guo $$, Ying J?g, Yan M, Xing ff?, and Qin ^ were excavated, redirecting our atten tion from the Zhou capital area in central Shaanxi to the periphery of the Zhou world.1 The materials from these local sites, combined with a large number of bronze inscriptions excavated in the Zhou core area, provide us with a tremendous opportunity to examine the political structure of the Western Zhou state and the workings of its government. Although we are unable at present to detail every aspect of the Zhou political system, we do have enough new