"In Text and Ritual in Early China, leading scholars of ancient Chinese history, religion, and archaeology consider the presence and use of texts in religious and political ritual. Through balanced attention to both the received literary tradition and the wide range of recently excavated artifacts, manuscripts, and inscriptions, their combined efforts reveal the rich and multilayered interplay of textual composition and ritual performance. Drawn across disciplinary boundaries, the resulting picture illuminates two of the defining features of early Chinese culture and advances new insights into their sumptuous complexity." "This work will be required reading for scholars of Chinese history, language, literature, philosophy, religion, art history, and archaeology."--BOOK JACKET.