Recent archaeological finds in China have made possible a reconstruction of the ancient history of Sichauan, the country's most populous province. Excavated artifacts and newly recovered texts can now supplement traditional textual materials. Combing these materials, Sage shows how Sichauan matured from peripheral obscurity to attain central importance in the formation of the Chinese empire during the first millennium B.C.

Steven F. Sage is Professor in the Department of History, Middle Tennessee State University (?).