ABSTRACT
In China, Ideas about the Formation of the state, as well as the ideology of early states, differ somewhat from western thinking. This chapter highlights some of these differences, and suggest that while both perspectives are valuable, neither is responsive to the ideology of the Hongshan culture, which is crucial for understanding its contribution to the formation of the state. Using feminist theory, and 'middle range theory of the mind', it is possible to approach state formation with fresh eyes. The Hongshan culture was a polity which achieved a three-tier managerial elite, but declined after half a millennium rather than developing further. In spite of the decline, however, continuities in the region suggest that the Hongshan experiment was not completely forgotten, but blossomed again in the Lower Xiajiadian and after another interval yet again in Upper Xiajiadian. The full meaning of these successively more complex societies is not yet known, and appears to be without external cause.
