David N. Keightley’s seminal essays on the origins of Chinese society are brought together in one volume.
These Bones Shall Rise Again brings together in one volume many of David N. Keightley’s seminal essays on the origins of early Chinese civilization. Written over a period of three decades and accessible to the non-specialist, these essays provide a wealth of information and insights on the Shang dynasty, traditionally dated 1766–1122 or 1056 BCE. Of all the eras of Chinese history, the Shang has been a particularly elusive one, long considered more myth than reality. A historian with a keen appreciation for anthropology and archaeology, Keightley has given us many descriptions of Shang life. Best known for his analysis of oracle bones, he has looked beyond the bones themselves and expanded his historical vision to ponder the lives of those who used them. What did the Shang diviner think he was doing? The temerity to ask such questions and the insights they have provided have been provocative and, at times, controversial. Equally intriguing have been Keightley’s assertions that many of the distinctive features of Chinese civilization were already in evidence during the Shang, 3000 years ago. In this collection, readers will find not only an essential reference but also the best kind of thought-provoking scholarship.

《多维视域:商王朝与中国早期文明研究》是2005年3月在温哥华英属哥伦比亚大学召开的“中国古代文明论坛”(Workshop on Chinese Civilization，UBC，March 2005)会议部分论文的文集。所收录文章以早期中国文明为对象，探讨了中国商王朝及商王朝以前中国的社会结构、文化特征以及运行机制，为当代社会观察远古文明提供了考古学、历史学、语言学、艺术史学的多维视角。《多维视域:商王朝与中国早期文明研究》适合考古学、博物馆学、古文字学以及文化遗产等领域的研究人员以及高校相关专业师生参考、阅读。

商朝是有可靠史料记载的最古老国家。所有国家 都有自己的治国方略，商朝的治国方略系通过神灵崇 拜而得到。崇拜的形式是“祭祀”，即通过祭祀讨好 “神灵”。然而，祭祀本身并非由殷商统治阶级创造 出来，而是从远古时代流传下来的，即由远古时代的 各种神灵崇拜演变而来。甲骨卜辞所见的各种各样的 自然神，表明了这一事实。殷商时代的统治阶级系由 几个强大的氏族或部落联合而成。各氏族或部落有自 己崇拜的神灵即图腾。图腾的最大社会功能是区别“ 我”和“非我”。商朝统治阶级信奉较多的自然神， 同时也重视祖先神灵的崇拜。从甲骨卜辞记录来看， 随着社会的变化祭祀制度也有变化。到殷商末期，对 自然神举行祭祀的记录已几乎没有，而对祖先神灵举 行祭祀的记录却很多，祭祀制度越来越严格化、简单 化，祭祀所使用的牺牲也愈来愈少。这些变化，表明 殷商晚期已走向奴隶制社会。

本书选取商周金文中出现的姓氏，介绍其现存状况、来源传说，并结合金文字形、铭文内容等考证其始见年代、得名之由、历史沿革、字形演变等问题。作者运用文字学方法来研究中国姓氏的起源，将一些姓氏的出现时间从传统姓氏学所考证的时代提前至商周时期。从本书中亦可窥见作者碗面在金文释读方面的一些新思考。