This book contains the lecture notes of Professor Li Xueqin from Tsinghua University, who taught the excavated literature courses at Tsinghua University. It is a classic work in the fields of archaeology and paleography. The bronze artifacts and inscriptions from the Shang and Zhou periods presented in this book are the most precious firsthand materials bearing pre-Qin history. They authentically recreate significant historical events such as King Wu’s conquest of Zhou and the founding of the capital in the Zhou dynasty. The book presents the social, economic, intellectual, technological, military, cultural, and ethnic conditions at the origin of Chinese civilization in a vivid language that juxtaposes ancient and modern contexts, using ancient examples to explain contemporary ideas. The features of this book are as follows: (1) It covers most of the important bronze artifacts from the late Shang to the early Western Zhou period; (2) It narrates significant historical events from the late Shang to the early Western Zhou period, such as King Wu’s conquest of Zhou. (3) The content brings readers closer to the cultural life of ancient times.