The Deified Human Face Petroglyphs of Prehistoric China

Book excerpt: "China's cultural heritage is so ancient, mysterious and multifarious as if it came together like several rivers. Where is the origin of this remarkable Eastern culture? The human face petroglyphs are one of the original resources of Chinese cultural heritage. The traditional Chinese concept of "Heaven and Man are one," and the practice of ancestor veneration, both spring from concepts first embodied in the prehistoric human faces. This book offers the analyses of petroglyphic features, fabrication methods, and their spatial and temporal evolution. It also discussed how they influenced prehistoric pottery patterns, the development of the first Chinese writing system, the bronze vessel patterns of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and the formation of ancient Chinese mythology and religious practices. Published by SCPG Publishing Corporation and distributed by World Scientific for all markets except China"--