Yao, Shun, Yu
Founded by Yu’s son Qi, 2200 BCE
Jie is final king
30 kings rule in succession over 500+ years
7 capitals in succession
Final capital of Yin
Names of kings correspond to “legendary” histories
Shang king 21, Wu Ding, d. ca. 1189 BCE (Li Feng, p. 55)
“The Great Settlement Shang”
Not called “Yin” as in legendary histories
Erlitou (Xia?) decline 1600-1500 BCE
Erligang (Shang?) rise at Zhengzhou
Rapidly expands beyond Erlitou culture
6 km east of Erlitou
Theories
1st Erligang capital
Garrison to guard (Xia) Erlitou
20 sq. km vs. Erlitou 5 sq. km
Urban layout
City walls
Inner is 7 km
Palaces
Graveyards
Organized
Human sacrifice
Workshops
Bronze, Bone, Pottery
Dwarfs Erlitou (and Near East)
427 pieces of clay molds excavated
35% tool molds
Pickaxes, axes, awls, fishhooks
11% weapon molds
Adzes, dagger-axes, knives, arrowheads
17 % vessel molds
Remainder unknown
Erligang, Zhengzhou, Henan vs. Panlongcheng, Hubei
Similar bronze vessel types
Different pottery
What possible explanations are there for the similarities in bronze vessel design and differences in pottery?
Regional bronze styles emerge
Military expansion and retreat?
Interstate trade?
Bagley thesis
Transition from imperial unity to interacting regional states