| The purpose of this study was to examine the nexus of associations in the regional economy of East Asia. Specifically the research calls attention to the presence of an East Asian trading system in the third century B.C., while observing the interplay between economy, nature, and culture in the region. An East Asian social sphere of interaction is examined by drawing from the methodological approaches of world-system analysis. This study utilizes both primary and secondary historical sources to analyze the interactions between human communities prior to, during, and after the onset of an East Asian Dark Age or disruptive period from the third century B.C. up until the tenth century A.D.; In European history the medieval period is often referred to as the Dark Ages, an epoch characterized by political disunity, chaos, wars, population loss and a disruption of exchange networks. East Asian history is also witness to these periods as political, social, and economic life is disrupted. Centuries after the collapse of the Han dynasty, China fell into political disarray and decline. The chaos and disorder experienced in China bears a strong resemblance to that often referred to by historians as the European Dark Ages. This time period is traditionally seen in Chinese history as a negative break from the progress experienced for centuries from the Qin to the Han dynasties (221 B.C.--220 A.D.). This study finds that political, economic, cultural, and environmental features define Dark Ages. These dimensions are interactive and illustrate the complexity of these periods. The implications of disruptive periods on social systems are documented as Dark Ages impact trade, ecological relations, and ritual practices in East Asia. |
