Review of The Art of Terrestrial Diagrams in Early China

The Art of Terrestrial Diagrams in Early China is a methodical exploration of the meaning, process, and mythology surrounding the artifacts known as ditu, a little-known form of spatial representation practiced in ancient China, predominantly in the centuries before the common era (BCE).The extraordinary artifacts examined in this book were uncovered in archaeological excavations of Chinese tombs at sites in Zhongshan, Fangmatan, and Mawangdui that can be dated to between the second and fourth centuries BCE.Their discovery and identification amongst the grave goods in these three ancient and widely separated tombs provides an opportunity to learn about these artifacts first hand.