Food and Environment in Early and Medieval China (Encounters with Asia)

Synopsis

Food and Environment in Early and Medieval China traces the development of the food systems that coincided with China's emergence as an empire. Before extensive trade and cultural exchange with Europe was established, Chinese farmers and agriculturalsits developed systems that used resources in sustainable and efficient ways, permitting intensive and productive techniques to survive over millenia. Fields, gardens, semiwild lands, managed forests, and specialized agricultural landscapes all became part of an integrated network that produced maximum nutrients with minimal input--though not without some environmental cost--Jacket. Introduction -- Prehistoric origins across Eurasia -- China's early agriculture -- The origins of Chinese civilization -- The development of China's sustainability during Zhou and Han -- Dynastic consolidation under Han -- Foods from the west: medieval China -- The Mongols and the Yuan dynasty -- Shifting grounds in Ming -- Overview: Imperial China managing landscapes -- Appendix I: Conservation among China's neighbors -- Appendix II: An introduction to Central Asian food. E.N. Anderson. Includes bibliographical references (pages 299-330) and index.