The growing political influence and economic might of the East Asian countries - China, Korea and Japan - makes a thorough knowledge of them essential. But if we are to understand these societies, we need to look beyond recent times to the history of the region. For civilization in East Asia is nearly 4,000 years old, and its origins lie deep in the prehistoric past. This book is a synthesis of East Asian archaeology and early history. Drawing on new evidence, it charts the developments that culminated in the emergence of the region as a coherent entity, with a shared religion (Buddhism), state philosophy (Confucianism) and bureaucratic structure. The narrative begins over a million years ago, when early humans first colonized the Far East, and continues through the growth of fishing and farming societies at the end of the Ice Age to the rise of social elites during the Bronze Age, and the emergence of civilization in Shang, Zhou and Han China. Korea and Japan, though greatly influenced by the immense mainland empire, took their own paths towards civilization, first apparent in early states - Korea's Koguryo, Shilla and Paekche and Japan's Yamato - that emerged in the 4th century AD. Copious photographs and drawings - from vibrant Jomon ceramics to the first Chinese Emperor's terracotta army - complement the text.