This book aims to portray ancient civilizations and the development of early states in China and the rest of the world during the Liangzhu period. From a global perspective, it describes the ancient Egyptian, Sumerian and Harappan civilizations, as well as lesser-known civilizations such as the Cyclades and Caral, underscoring the similarities and differences between their central settlements, capitals and material cultural remains. As for the national aspect, the book mainly explores the development process of east Asian civilization as represented by Chinese civilization and probes into the evolution of the Liangzhu, Dawenkou and Qujialing civilizations four to five thousand years ago in a search for the origins of Chinese civilization.

Minghui Chen is a researcher at Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. Having graduated from Fudan University in 2013, his current work mainly involves archaeology of the neolithic era, prehistoric archaeology, urban archaeology, civilization comparison, jade and pottery. He has participated in the excavation of and studies at the Liangzhu City, Qinglongquan, Quangang, Baodun and Guangfulin historical sites and has published over 30 papers in the field of archaeology.

Part I  West Asia Civilization Circle.- Chapter 1  Sumerian Civilization.- Chapter 2  Ancient Egyptian Civilization.- Chapter 3  Harappa Civilization.- Part II  East Asia Civilization Circle.- Chapter 4  The Birth of the Chinese Civilization.- Chapter 5  The Rise of the Crescent Area in Southeast China.- Chapter 6  The Great Central China Area: The Late Yangshao Period to Miaodigou II Period.- Chapter 7  The Formation of the Crescent Area in Northwest China.