Erlitou

Type site of the Erlitou phase in Henan province, north China. The Erlitou phase represents the earliest known stage of the Chinese Bronze Age of c early 2nd millennium BC. The earliest bronze ritual vessels yet known from China, along with bronze blades and fine jades were also found. Two palace compounds have been excavated. The Erlitou remains provide the fullest evidence now available for the emergence of the Shang civilization from its local forbears.

[Erh-li-t’ou]. Type site of the Erlitou phase, near Luoyang in Yanshi, Henan province, north China. The Erlitou phase represents the earliest known stage of the Chinese Bronze Age. Radiocarbon dates suggest that the four levels at the Erlitou site span the first half of the 2nd millennium bc. The two lowest levels have yielded only insignificant metal remains, but in the third and most important level were found the earliest bronze ritual vessels yet known from China, along with bronze GE blades and fine jades. To the same level belongs a very large hangtu palace compound whose pillared hall and south-facing plan establish the norm of later Chinese palace architecture. The hall, raised on its own hangtu podium, stood on a square hangtu terrace 100 metres on a side; the terrace was enclosed by a corridor-like structure. Archeologists are first assigned the Erlitou site to the early Shang dynasty, some identifying it as the capital of the dynasty’s founder; current opinion holds that it is probably too early to fall within the Shang period and might instead belong, at least in part, to the preceding Xia dynasty. The fourth level at the site is described as transitional to the full-fledged Bronze Age culture of the Erligang phase, which is generally believed to correspond to the earlier part of the Shang dynasty. Thus whatever the political status of the city may have been, the Erlitou remains provide the fullest evidence now available for the emergence of the Shang civilization from its local forbears.