This course surveys the art, archaeology and material culture of early China from the Neolithic age (ca. 8000 - ca. 2000 BCE) to the early imperial period (221 BCE - 220 CE). Geographical coverage uses today's China as a point of departure, but its scope also extends to the rest of the world. This course will explore early Chinese art in a variety of media and crafts, including metalwork, jade, ceramic, painting, writing, stone carving, and ephemeral arts (e.g., magic and music). The central question for the course will be what an understanding of materials can tell us about the creative process in art. Perhaps surprisingly, we will find that a focus on materials gives us a useful perspective on some classic preoccupations of art history, including the idea of "the artist." And we will see familiar works differently when we look on them with technically informed eyes.