Anth230: Anthropology of East Asia

After browsing through that site, I find it very interesting that the Chinese clearly valued palaces, tombs, and temples, but there is very little evidence that they built defense structures like those in ancient Europe. I'm thinking mainly about castles. Of course there is the Great Wall, but other than that there is very little in the way of defense stuctures. Is there any explanation for this that anyone knows about?

I remember reading an article awhile back in National Geographic (I think) that showed the Chinese to be very similar to ancient Egyptians in that they were equally concerned with the after-life. The Chinese also had grand burial tombs for their emperors which were often filled with enough life-sized terra-cotta warriors to make an army to protect the emperor in his next life. What was amazing to me was that these statues were actually as individual looking as true people. So in a way they actually had defense structures, just not in the typical sense. The Egyptians also buried with their pharaoh's certain objects that were meant to protect them later on. And if I remember correctly, the entrances to the tombs were rather modest compared to the pyramids of Egypt.
Here is a site that has more detailed information about the terra-cotta warriors: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/xian/terracotta.htm

The articles on the archaeology scandal were interesting. They demonstrate how difficult and trying archaeology can be, as it has forced some archaeologists to resort to fraud. What I found odd was that the archaeologist would try to plant evidence. Though I can believe the stresses Fujimara may have felt and that may have caused him act as he did, I do not understand how planting evidence would help. I would imagine anything significant found, as were the lithic artifacts that the sites, would be quickly challenged and disproved by archaeologists, as in fact happened. But I suppose this scandal is similar to most other crimes and scandals. The Keally article gives good insight to the problems in archaeology in Asian schools.

About the Great Wall: in fact there were many defensive walls built between the States before China was unified by the first Chin emperor (ca. 200BC), and there have been multiple Great Walls to define agricultural China's boundary with nomads. And every city of any size had very substantial walls surrounding it, though the purpose was probably not primarily defensive.