Tomb Culture of Ancient China

Published on Cleveland Museum of Art (http://www.clevelandart.org)

Grade Level:

7–12

Student Level:

Middle School

Students are introduced to selected objects found in ancient Chinese tombs as a way of surveying history from the late Neolithic era (3000 BC) to the Tang dynasty (618-907). These objects reveal the contents of ancient tombs and shed light on similar types of items used for daily life. In addition, these tomb goods-ritual vessels, figurines, and musical instruments-represent exemplary workmanship in jade, bronze, and ceramics. Working methods with these materials are also explored.

Don't have a CILC ID? Register Here [2]

Tomb Culture of Ancient China (Lesson PDF) [3]

Program Format:

Introduction of Neolithic culture.
Interactive discussion of concept of afterlife.
Examples of ancient Chinese objects and the materials and techniques used to create them.
Interactive discussion and examples of the relationship of court life to tomb goods.
Writing Chinese characters interactivity.
Discussion of Tang Dynasty ceramics.

Objectives:

Students will be able to describe the concept of the afterlife and explain why tombs were repositories for valued objects.
Students will be able to identify various periods of Chinese history, such as the Shang and Tang Dynasties.
Students will be able to identify several types of materials and techniques used by ancient Chinese artisans to construct useful objects and grave goods.
Students will be able to discuss the continuity of Chinese tomb culture over several centuries.

Source URL: http://www.clevelandart.org/learn/distance-learning/middle-school/tomb-culture-ancient-china

Links:
[1] http://www.cilc.org/search/content-provider-program.aspx?id=2901
[2] https://cmaweb10.clevelandart.org/cgi-bin/Education.py
[3] http://www.clevelandart.org/sites/default/files/documents/TombCultureChinaLesson.pdf