Erlitou
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21 AUGUST 2009 VOL 325 SCIENCE www.sciencemag.org 934 CREDIT: CHEN GUOLIANG ERLITOU, CHINA—In the 6th century B.C.E., Confucius referred to the ancient Xia dynasty as China’s first, based on documents that were old in his day. For generations of Chinese scholars, the Xia was China’s initial great flowering of civ- ilization, inaugurating a history that unfolded in methodical fashion from city-state to empire (see main text and timeline, p. 930). But there was no physical evidence for the dynasty’s exis- tence, so in 1959 an archaeological team set out to find its seat. Along this marshy section of the Luo River in the central plains of the Yellow River Valley, they uncovered a 300-hectare site dating to roughly the correct period—and promptly hailed it as the long-lost first capital. But did the Xia, said to have flourished from 2100 B.C.E. to 1600 B.C.E., really exist? New, unpublished dates and excavation data from this modest site challenge its status as the capital of the Xia. “We have proven that Erlitou is the largest and most culturally developed site with the biggest population,” says Chen Guoliang, an assistant researcher at the site, standing in a gentle spring rain on the roof of the dig house. “But what it was exactly requires more research.” Until the archaeological finds of the past half-century, most of what we knew of early Chi- nese history was based largely on ancient texts, which have a status here somewhat comparable to that of the Bible in the West. They provide a detailed account of how the Xia succumbed to the Shang dynasty, which in turn gave over to the Zhou dynasty around 1045 B.C.E. Although the texts were written long after most of the events, digs have confirmed many of the asser- tions made about the Shang and later eras. But the Xia dynasty has remained elusive, despite the identification of Erlitou as its capital. During the past decade, Xu Hong of the Insti- tute of Archaeology in Beijing has directed extensive excavations here, although digging has stopped for now to allow archaeologists to interpret their data and the site has been reburied and planted with wheat. The digs have revealed the details of Erlitou’s rise, including a central complex, possibly a palace, in the first phase. Then the settlement grew, the palace area was walled, and a street network was built. A section of road with wagon tracks pro- vides the oldest evidence for wheeled vehicles in China, though whether they were pulled by humans or draft animals is unclear. Many bronze and other precious artifacts, including a spec- tacular, snakelike turquoise dragon, were apparently made in the palace area and found in large numbers in nearby tombs of the elite. At its peak, as many as 20,000 people may have lived at Erlitou before it slowly faded into obscu- rity around 1500 B.C.E. “It looks like a planned city, separated by function, with relatively clustered tombs, work- shop areas, pottery workshops near the river, and a clear hierarchy,” says Chen. With regular walls surrounding a spacious palace complex near the city center and wide, straight streets, Erlitou’s design matches an urban layout that became common throughout China for millen- nia and is still visible in cities like Beijing, built around the Forbidden City. Xu’s radiocarbon dating of Erlitou to between 1900 B.C.E. and 1500 B.C.E. was later than records indicated for the Xia. Some archae- ologists therefore called Erlitou a “late Xia” cap- ital. Now, a larger series of organic samples from the lower layers shift the start date even later— to approximately 1750 B.C.E., says Wu Xiaohong of Peking University, where the samples were recently analyzed. That will make it much more difficult to connect Erlitou with the Xia, which was supposedly ending at the time Erlitou was evolving. Most younger archae- ologists avoid the term Xia altogether. They prefer the term “Erlitou culture” to “Xia dynasty,” and its successor “Erligang culture” to “Shang dynasty.” Chen explains that “old schol- ars who graduated before the Cultural Revolution are steeped in a background centered on written Chinese history—and they wanted to solve the ‘problem’ of the Xia and Shang dynasties by using archaeology to prove their view.” He adds that the Cultural Revolution wiped away the traditional lineages of historians, while archaeologists have since embraced Western methods. “Only physical evidence can prove the existence of these two dynasties,” he says. Xu, the excavation chief, criticizes the recent government-funded Xia-Shang-Zhou Chronology Project as “a kind of political propaganda.” For him, “archaeology and legendary history are dif- ferent disciplines.” He says that research has been overshadowed for too long by a preoccupation with the dynastic tradition. As Xu and his team analyze the data from a decade of excavation, they are focusing on how salt production may have been Erlitou’s eco- nomic driver; such issues are neglected in the written histories. The resulting scenario may be less dramatic than the texts’ story of a great storm sent by heaven—complete with 3 days of blood rain—that inaugurated the Xia kingdom, but more convincing to modern archaeologists. For many researchers, the controversy pit- ting texts against excavations is a distraction rather than an assault on Confucian learning. Like Near Eastern archaeologists, they are happy to make use of revered ancient texts but do not treat them as revealed truth. “We don’t just want to know whether Erlitou is Xia; we want to know the economic and political system. That’s what’s important,” says Ma Xiaolin, vice- director of the Henan Provincial Institute of Cul- tural Relics and Archaeology in nearby Zhengzhou. “We don’t care about the name; we just want a clearer picture.” –A.L. FOUNDING DYNASTY OR MYTH? NEWSFOCUS Mythical creature? A turquoise dragon found at Erlitou, an important early site in the central plains area of the Yellow River. When discovered in 1959, the settlement was hailed as the capital of the legendary Xia dynasty, which was described in early texts. But recent excavations, coupled with new dating, cast doubt on that claim, as well as on the accuracy of the texts detailing the rise of the Xia. Published by AAAS on August 29, 2009 www.sciencemag.org Downloaded from
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21 AUGUST 2009 VOL 325 SCIENCE www.sciencemag.org Published by AAAS
Transcript of Erlitou
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21 AUGUST 2009 VOL 325 SCIENCE www.sciencemag.org934
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ERLITOU, CHINAIn the 6th century B.C.E.,Confucius referred to the ancient Xia dynasty asChinas first, based on documents that were oldin his day. For generations of Chinese scholars,the Xia was Chinas initial great flowering of civ-ilization, inaugurating a history that unfolded inmethodical fashion from city-state to empire(see main text and timeline, p. 930). But therewas no physical evidence for the dynastys exis-tence, so in 1959 an archaeological team set outto find its seat. Along this marshy section of theLuo River in the central plains of the Yellow RiverValley, they uncovered a 300-hectare site datingto roughly the correct periodand promptlyhailed it as the long-lost first capital.
But did the Xia, said to have flourished from2100 B.C.E. to 1600 B.C.E., really exist? New,unpublished dates and excavation data from thismodest site challenge its status as the capital ofthe Xia. We have proven that Erlitou is thelargest and most culturally developed site withthe biggest population, says Chen Guoliang, anassistant researcher at the site, standing in agentle spring rain on the roof of the dig house.But what it was exactly requires more research.
Until the archaeological finds of the pasthalf-century, most of what we knew of early Chi-nese history was based largely on ancient texts,which have a status here somewhat comparableto that of the Bible in the West. They provide adetailed account of how the Xia succumbed tothe Shang dynasty, which in turn gave over tothe Zhou dynasty around 1045 B.C.E. Althoughthe texts were written long after most of theevents, digs have confirmed many of the asser-tions made about the Shang and later eras. Butthe Xia dynasty has remained elusive, despitethe identification of Erlitou as its capital.
During the past decade, Xu Hong of the Insti-tute of Archaeology in Beijing has directed
extensive excavations here, although digginghas stopped for now to allow archaeologists tointerpret their data and the site has beenreburied and planted with wheat. The digshave revealed the details of Erlitous rise,including a central complex, possibly a palace,in the first phase. Then the settlement grew, thepalace area was walled, and a street network wasbuilt. A section of road with wagon tracks pro-vides the oldest evidence for wheeled vehicles inChina, though whether they were pulled byhumans or draft animals is unclear. Many bronzeand other precious artifacts, including a spec-tacular, snakelike turquoise dragon, wereapparently made in the palace area and foundin large numbers in nearby tombs of the elite. Atits peak, as many as 20,000 people may havelived at Erlitou before it slowly faded into obscu-rity around 1500 B.C.E.
It looks like a planned city, separated byfunction, with relatively clustered tombs, work-shop areas, pottery workshops near the river,and a clear hierarchy, says Chen. With regularwalls surrounding a spacious palace complexnear the city center and wide, straight streets,Erlitous design matches an urban layout thatbecame common throughout China for millen-nia and is still visible in cities like Beijing, builtaround the Forbidden City.
Xus radiocarbon dating of Erl i tou tobetween 1900 B.C.E. and 1500 B.C.E. was laterthan records indicated for the Xia. Some archae-ologists therefore called Erlitou a late Xia cap-ital. Now, a larger series of organic samples fromthe lower layers shift the start date even laterto approximately 1750 B.C.E., says Wu Xiaohongof Peking University, where the samples wererecently analyzed. That will make it much moredifficult to connect Erlitou with the Xia, which wassupposedly ending at the time Erlitou was evolving.
Most younger archae-ologists avoid the term Xia
altogether. They prefer the term Erlitou culture toXia dynasty, and its successor Erligang cultureto Shang dynasty. Chen explains that old schol-ars who graduated before the Cultural Revolutionare steeped in a background centered on writtenChinese historyand they wanted to solve theproblem of the Xia and Shang dynasties by usingarchaeology to prove their view. He adds that theCultural Revolution wiped away the traditionallineages of historians, while archaeologists havesince embraced Western methods. Only physicalevidence can prove the existence of these twodynasties, he says.
Xu, the excavation chief, criticizes the recentgovernment-funded Xia-Shang-Zhou ChronologyProject as a kind of political propaganda. Forhim, archaeology and legendary history are dif-ferent disciplines. He says that research has beenovershadowed for too long by a preoccupationwith the dynastic tradition.
As Xu and his team analyze the data from adecade of excavation, they are focusing on howsalt production may have been Erlitous eco-nomic driver; such issues are neglected in thewritten histories. The resulting scenario may beless dramatic than the texts story of a greatstorm sent by heavencomplete with 3 days ofblood rainthat inaugurated the Xia kingdom,but more convincing to modern archaeologists.
For many researchers, the controversy pit-ting texts against excavations is a distractionrather than an assault on Confucian learning.Like Near Eastern archaeologists, they arehappy to make use of revered ancient texts butdo not treat them as revealed truth. We dontjust want to know whether Erlitou is Xia; we wantto know the economic and political system.Thats whats important, says Ma Xiaolin, vice-director of the Henan Provincial Institute of Cul-tural Rel ics and Archaeology in nearbyZhengzhou. We dont care about the name; wejust want a clearer picture. A.L.
FOUNDING DYNASTY OR MYTH?
NEWSFOCUS
Mythical creature? Aturquoise dragon foundat Erlitou, an importantearly site in the centralplains area of the YellowRiver. When discovered in 1959, the settlementwas hailed as the capitalof the legendary Xiadynasty, which wasdescribed in early texts.But recent excavations,coupled with new dating,cast doubt on that claim,as well as on the accuracyof the texts detailing therise of the Xia.
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