Why is Erlitou the Summer Capital? Traveling 5,000 years to explore China's "First Dynasty"

One day 4000 years ago

The mythical hero Dayu

Passing by the house but no time to enter

Urging his steps

It was an unprecedented flood.

(From "Historical Records: Annals of Xia", during the Yao and Shun periods, the Yellow River basin was plagued by floods)

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During the reign of Emperor Yao, the waters surged up to the sky, and the people were worried.

(Please watch in horizontal mode , the turbulent Yellow River, photographer @Teng Hongliang)

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After more than ten years of governance

The flood finally subsided

But what Dayu didn't realize was

What kind of dynasty will his family start?

How will it change China's destiny?

(Dayu statue, photographer @柒哥)

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To understand the truth behind the myth

We need to turn back time to

More than 5,000 years ago

01

The Curse of Civilization

- The rise of the city -

More than 5,000 years ago, on the land of China

Many ancient countries have risen, like stars in the sky

Although it is a small country with few people

But they also thrived independently.

But the good times didn’t last long

As if cursed

These ancient countries all declined without exception.

Some say they were destroyed by natural disasters.

Some say they were destroyed by internal turmoil

Some say they were destroyed by foreign invasions.

The real reason is unknown

With the decline of the ancient country

The progress of civilization in various places has also fallen into a low ebb.

(The picture shows the Liangzhu divine emblem. After the decline of the Liangzhu ancient state, the social development of the once prosperous middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River stagnated for a time. Photographer @Lu Hu)

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Rise, boom, fall

As this cycle continues

A sudden flood

Attacking the Central Plains

Could this be the flood that Dayu once controlled?

The true answer is unknown

But after the flood receded

The alluvial plain of the Luoyang Basin has become more fertile

(Please watch in horizontal mode . Some scholars speculate that about 4,000 years ago, a severe flood occurred in the Yiluo River area of ​​the Luoyang Basin, causing the river to burst and change course, thereby expanding the alluvial plain. Map by @郑艺/Planetary Research Institute)

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About 3800 years ago

A group from the Songshan area of ​​present-day Henan

I saw this piece of land

On the high ground on the north bank of the Guilo River

A large city with an area of ​​over 3 million square meters has been built

It was also the entire East Asian continent at that time

The most developed city

We don't know the name of the city.

It will surely be as dazzling as Chang'an and Luoyang in later generations.

Today, we can only find the villages where the archaeological excavations are located.

Call it

Erlitou

Erlitou City had a clear plan when it was first established.

Several intersecting avenues

Cut the entire city into at least 9 parts

It constitutes the earliest urban trunk road network in China.

(Due to river erosion, the actual area of ​​the Erlitou site may reach 4 million square meters. Map by @冯艺卓/Planetary Research Institute)

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The center of the road network

The palace area covers a total area of ​​about 110,000 square meters.

There are two large palace complexes inside.

constitutes so far

The earliest planned along the central axis in China

Large palace complex

Its planning concept of square and regularity and choosing a neutral palace

Let it become

The founder of the palace for more than 3,000 years

(Please slide to the left . The palace system of Erlitou is consistent with the ancient Chinese palace system of later generations. Map by @冯艺卓/星球研究院)

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Could this be the palace of Dayu’s family?

Could this be the capital of Xia, the first dynasty in Chinese history?

In the eyes of many scholars

The answer is " most likely "

By today's standards

These palaces may be "unremarkable"

But at that time, the amount of engineering they consumed could not be underestimated.

The amount of rammed earth used in Palace No. 1 alone

More than 20,000 m³

This means that 1,000 people are scheduled every day.

It will also take 200 days to complete

Complete all construction work in the palace area

The labor days required can reach hundreds of thousands or even millions

(Overlooking the ruins of Erlitou Palace No. 1, people seem particularly small compared to the huge ruins, photographer @李文博)

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No doubt

If you want to build a city of this size,

It requires a large population

It is estimated

The population of Erlitou city at that time

Up to 20,000 people

It is 20 times the population of ordinary settlements at the same time.

Where do so many people come from?

The analysis results of Erlitou human bones show that

Many of them migrated from other places

Erlitou can be said to be

China's earliest large-scale immigrant city

(Erlitou Xia Capital Ruins Museum, photographer @焦潇翔)

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Various signs indicate

Erlitou is definitely not a small country with few people

It is definitely not the ancient country that was once a flash in the pan.

The “most likely” first dynasty of China

There must be something special

02

Breaking the Curse

- Agriculture and Bronze -

Maybe the wheel of fate

Since the moment the ancestors of Erlitou set foot on this land

It has quietly turned

Luoyang Basin, located in the heart of the Central Plains

Its geographical location is unique

Surrounded by mountains as a natural barrier

The Yellow River tributaries crisscross the

(Please watch in horizontal screen , Luoyang scenery, photographer @焦潇翔)

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Different from the traditional dryland farming in North China

The intersection of subtropical and warm temperate zones

This plain can be used to grow dryland crops such as millet and sorghum.

It can also sow paddy crops such as rice.

(From "Historical Records·Annals of Xia", during the flood control period, Dayu asked his assistant Yi to distribute rice to the people for planting in wet and low-lying areas)

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(Yu) ordered that rice be given to the people, and that it be planted in low-lying and wet areas

Diversified food structure

To avoid Erlitou to the greatest extent possible

Drought and floods cause "devastating blows" to crops

(Erlitou has a complete range of crops, map by @Zheng Yi/Planetary Research Institute)

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Of course, in addition to natural disasters, there are also man-made disasters.

If you want to break the curse

Agriculture alone is not enough

The Erlitou people at this time

A "high-tech" assistance is also needed

This is

Bronze Casting

(From "Records of the Grand Historian: Annals of Emperor Xiaowu", meaning that Dayu collected copper from all over the country and cast nine tripods)

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Yu collected the gold from the nine herdsmen and cast nine tripods

Legend has it that the Xia people had developed bronze technology

Can cast copper into a tripod

The Erlitou people were the same people as the Chinese people.

The Strongest Bronze Caster

(The Erlitou bronze jug with nipple pattern has a very beautiful shape and is known as the "No. 1 jug in China". Photographer: @李文博)

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Long before Erlitou

Some settlements in Northwest China

Already started to try to cast copper

But the casting method is very primitive

Only simple shapes can be made

(Diagram of the production process of bronze knives from the Majiayao culture in Gansu, drawn by @Luo Zihan & Feng Yizhuo/Planet Research Institute)

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Maybe it was the fusion of cultures that created the spark.

In Erlitou

This is the center where cultures from all over the world converge

A "technological revolution"

Quietly start

Casting technology becomes more complex

Craftsmen use clay to mold unique shapes

Place in kiln and burn into model

(Block mold making diagram, drawn by @Luo Zihan & Feng Yizhuo/Planet Research Institute)

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Then, the clay is covered on the surface of the ceramic mold.

Waiting for solidification to become an external model

(Block model legal model diagram, drawing by @Luo Zihan & Feng Yizhuo/Planet Research Institute)

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At the same time, fill the inside of the ceramic mold with clay

Waiting for hardening to become the inner fan

(Sketch of the core made by the block mold method, drawn by @Luo Zihan & Feng Yizhuo/Planet Research Institute)

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Finally, the combination of internal and external

Pour the copper liquid into the cavity between the two

After cooling, break the inner and outer molds

A complex bronze artifact

Born from this

(Sketch of the block casting method, drawn by @Luo Zihan & Feng Yizhuo/Planet Research Institute)

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Invention of composite fan technology

Allows complex shapes to be manufactured

Optimization of metal ratio in copper liquid

It makes the wall thinner and more uniform

(The craftsmen of the Erlitou period were able to consciously change the metal composition in the copper liquid. The increase in lead content can improve the fluidity of the alloy, which is conducive to casting thin-walled bronzes. Image by @冯艺卓/星球研究院)

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Erlitou at this time

Owns China's largest bronze production base

Leading copper casting technology

It will open up a new road for Erlitou

"Road to Conquest"

As a luxury

Bronze, rare and expensive

It is the only symbol of identity and status.

Therefore, the rare bronze was made into

Ceremonial vessels for worshipping ancestors and gods

It can better demonstrate the legitimacy of "divine right of kings"

This further standardizes the hierarchical order

Achieved the goal of protecting the lower classes and surrounding settlements

Mental Conquest

(Erlitou formed a set of ritual vessels centered on bronze ware, photographers @苏李欢&吴其平&范沛卓, map @冯艺卓/星球研究院)

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As a weapon

Strong and stable bronze

Has an overwhelming advantage over ordinary wood and stone weapons

With the guarantee of force

The country's military strength has been greatly strengthened

This enabled the lower-class people and surrounding settlements to be

Physical Conquest

(Erlitou bronze weapons, photographer @Qin Nan & Fan Peizhuo, map @Feng Yizhuo/Planetary Research Institute)

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Superior geographical location and diversified agricultural structure

Enhanced Erlitou's resistance to natural disasters

The advancement of bronze production technology

This greatly stabilized the situation inside and outside Erlitou.

Distribution range of Erlitou culture

For the first time, it broke through the limitations of geographical units.

Almost all of the middle reaches of the Yellow River

Its cultural influence is even wider.

North to the north of Yanshan Mountain

South to southeast coast

East and the border between Shandong and Henan

West to Gansu-Qinghai Plateau

(The Erlitou culture, represented by the Erlitou site, has a strong cultural influence. Map by @Zheng Yi/Planetary Research Institute)

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It can be said

Erlitou at this time

Regardless of the level of social development

Cultural influence

They far surpassed the ancient civilizations of the past.

It broke through the shackles of the Stone Age

Knocking on the door of the Bronze Age

It ended the situation of many small countries

Founded a country with vast territory and powerful royal power

The first large-scale monarchy in Chinese history

That is the most likely "First Dynasty of China"

Erlitou

It has become the most shining existence in China at this time.

Like a bright moon in the sky

Make the stars suddenly dim in comparison

This is what archaeologists call Chinese civilization

The transformation from "a sky full of stars" to "a moon with few stars"

(Erlitou culture became the earliest "core culture" on the East Asian continent and laid the foundation for the early dynasties in the Central Plains. Photographer @柳叶氘)

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At the Erlitou site

This is China's earliest "Bronze Capital"

What kind of magnificent life is there in the royal capital?

Let's imagine

03

A glimpse of the royal capital

- A Day in the Life of an Erlitou Noble -

Early in the morning, the sun rises

The fog has not yet dissipated from the riverside

A nobleman left his home in a hurry.

There is an important event to attend this morning.

There is no time to lose for this

Maybe it's too early

There are not many people on the wide avenue of the capital.

But later on

It's going to get lively here.

(The road width of Erlitou city is about 10-20m, equivalent to today's two-way four-lane road. Photographer: Ding Junhao)

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The center of the road network is the destination of this trip.

This is the center of the city

It is also the center of national power-Palace City

The noble walked quickly towards the northeast corner of the palace.

There is a huge pit there.

It was used as a soil extraction point for building palaces.

Now it has become a sacrificial pit

A grand sacrificial ceremony will be held here

The dignitaries waited respectfully beside the altar

Soon, the bonfire in the center of the altar was lit.

The flags with copper bells on both sides fluttered in the wind

The dragon on the flag is about to appear

(The Erlitou turquoise dragon-shaped vessel is inlaid with more than 2,000 pieces of turquoise less than 1 mm thick. It may have been used to decorate early banners. Photographer: Qin Nan)

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Dragon flags are shining, and bells are ringing

The bells and chimes rang, and the drums and music played

The ceremony officially begins

The king came slowly

The attendants followed closely behind.

Holding a bronze ritual vessel filled with fine wine and delicacies

Place them on the altar in order

Several piglets were slaughtered on site

Became a sacrifice to the gods

(Neatly arranged pig skeletons were found in the Erlitou sacrificial pit, which should be sacrificial animals. Photographer: @范沛卓)

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The king held up the jade scepter in his hand

Pray for the protection of gods and ancestors

And ask them about the country's fortune in the coming year

(Pure jade may be able to communicate with the gods, photographers @柳叶氘&朱智勇&苏李欢&秦南, map @冯艺卓/星球研究院)

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In the sound of dance and prayer

The priest put a piece of animal bone on the fire

The bones were burned with mottled scorch marks.

The answer to the divination

Hidden in these traces

(Erlitou divination bones, photographer @Liu Peng, map @Feng Yizhuo/Planetary Research Institute)

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The sacrificial ceremony is complicated and long

Fortunately, the divination results are gratifying

The king loudly declared to the crowd

Under the protection of God

This country will prosper.

The people under the altar knelt down on the ground

They all shouted in unison for the king's wisdom

After the sacrifice

The nobles then went to the bronze casting workshop for their daily inspection.

The workshop is located on the high ground along the river in the south of the city.

As the country's most important core technology industry

This place is under strict state control

Surrounded by high walls

Only a few powerful people and related practitioners can enter

The only place in the country that could cast bronze ritual vessels

Only this place

(Aerial photo of the Erlitou bronze casting workshop site. The workshop area is about 15,000-20,000 square meters. It is the earliest bronze casting workshop discovered in China so far. Photographer: Ding Junhao)

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The noble just entered the room

The heat wave with the sound of metal collision came towards me.

A busy scene in the workshop

Copper materials shipped from afar

Here they are melted by craftsmen

Cast into a shining national treasure

(No traces of ore smelting and mining were found in Erlitou. The copper materials may have come from copper mines in Shanxi or even Hubei. Some of the routes in the Shang and Zhou dynasties in the picture may have been opened as early as the Erlitou era. Map by @郑艺/Planetary Research Institute)

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Also under direct control of the royal family

There is also a turquoise processing workshop next to the palace area.

Turquoise is cut and polished here

Inlaid on jade, bronze and lacquerware

(Erlitou bronze plaque with turquoise animal face pattern, photographer @梦物如颜)

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It was already late when we came out of the workshop area

The nobles who had been busy all day

I just want to get home early.

Drinking and chatting with guests

As night falls

The dinner finally kicked off

On stage

Musicians playing instruments

Dancers dancing

The sound of stone chimes is ethereal and the sound of bells is crisp

The lacquer drum is steady and the pottery xun is melodious

(Erlitou cultural musical instruments, photographer @秦南&柳叶氘, map @冯艺卓/Planetary Research Institute)

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Off the Stage

The nobles and guests sat on the floor

The servants brought them various delicacies.

Cereals, fruits and vegetables, delicious barbecue

All are served in beautifully crafted pottery.

(Erlitou culture pottery food vessels, photographer @Fan Peizhuo & Qin Nan, map @Feng Yizhuo/Planet Research Institute)

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Dance with bells and chimes

Everyone drank the wine made from rice and wheat.

Talking loudly about each other's recent experiences

Before we knew it, the party was over.

(Erlitou culture pottery wine vessel, photographer @Qin Nan & Fan Peizhuo & Mengwu Ruyan & Su Lihuan, map @Feng Yizhuo/Planet Research Institute)

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But after the drunken crowd dispersed

The nobles did not feel satisfied with their meals and drinks.

Makes him worried

It was a rumor he heard at the banquet.

It is said that a tribe not far from the northeast of the country

The power is growing

He felt a little uneasy.

Waiting for this country

What will the future be like?

04

The capital falls

- The fall of Erlitou -

Same as the Xia Dynasty in history books

The Erlitou people also encountered the same enemy

business

This tribe from the east is eyeing

Eventually, a war broke out with Erlitou

Although the process is unknown

But the results are obvious

Erlitou failed.

Its capital was occupied

The ensuing

It was an unprecedented catastrophe.

The invaders ignored the original city plan

They built houses and garbage pits indiscriminately.

On the road, beside the city wall, inside the palace

(The picture shows the ruins of the Erlitou Palace. At the end of the Erlitou culture, the central area of ​​the palace suffered varying degrees of damage. Photographer: @李文博)

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The once prosperous city has changed beyond all recognition.

But the bronze casting workshop in the south of the city

But it has never been destroyed

For businessmen

As long as we control this place

He controls the most advanced technology of this era.

The workshop here will continue to be used

Until they can truly master the bronze casting technology

(Erlitou Bronze Jue, photographer @秦南)

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Although they occupied Erlitou

But the businessman did not intend

They regard this place as their capital

On the contrary

They were not far from the east of Erlitou.

Two large cities were built successively

Today they are called

Yanshi Mall and Zhengzhou Mall

(Zhengzhou Shang City Ruins, Photographer @焦潇翔)

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After lingering for decades

With the transfer of copper casting technology and the construction of the new city

The Erlitou city, which had lost its usefulness, was completely abandoned.

The last prosperity of Erlitou

Finally buried in

Under the layers of loess

(Turquoise fragments buried under the soil, photographer @李文博)

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Rise, boom, fall

Is this another cycle?

For Erlitou

This is not reincarnation

Compared with the ancient country that declined before

Its civilization has not been interrupted

Although the Shang people conquered Erlitou

But it also fully accepted its legacy

A ritual system centered on bronze ware

Perfectly inherited and continued by the Shang and Zhou dynasties

It even became the foundation of the ritual and music civilization of the Central Plains in later generations.

(Evolution of bronze ritual vessels, photographers @梦物如颜&柳叶氘&范沛卓&秦南&冯思徐&金风&吴齐平&李琼&包浩霖, map @冯艺卓/星球研究院)

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For Chinese civilization

This is a new cycle

Although Erlitou has disappeared

But the Central Plains dynasty led by it

Just stepped onto the historical stage

(Please watch in horizontal mode . In the following 2,000 years, more than ten dynasties established their capitals in Luoyang. Map by @郑艺/Planetary Research Institute)

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So far

Civilizations flow and dynasties change

Chinese civilization has entered a new stage

(Luoyang Twin Towers, photographer @王煜文)

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05

end

- Erlitou and Summer -

With the excavation of the Erlitou site

A problem is before people

That is

The "First Dynasty" recorded in historical materials is Xia

What is its relationship with Erlitou?

Erlitou Site

Could this be the capital of the Xia Dynasty?

The decline of Erlitou and the rise of Yanshi Shang City

Does it represent the change of dynasties from Xia to Shang?

(Inside the museum, archaeologists are cleaning up the Erlitou relics. Photographer: @范沛卓)

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The academic debate has never stopped.

From the literature

The location of the Erlitou site is consistent with ancient historical records

The era is roughly the same as the Xia Dynasty

(From "Book of Zhou·Duyi Chapter", which roughly means: the flat and unobstructed area between Luoshui and Yishui was once the place where the Xia Dynasty settled)

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From Luoyi to Yiyi, the settlement is easy and not solid, and there is the settlement of Xia

Although the Erlitou site has

No oracle bone inscriptions have yet been found.

Verifiable written materials

(Currently, only a few symbols have been found on pottery at the Erlitou site, some of which are similar to later oracle bone inscriptions and bronze inscriptions. Map by @冯艺卓/星球研究院)

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But from the archaeological materials

The scale and development level of the Erlitou site

It is like a capital city of a country

Not only did it immediately precede the Shang Dynasty,

In terms of cultural outlook

The Shang and Zhou dynasties were also descended from it.

Erlitou Site

It is very likely the capital of the Xia Dynasty.

(Turquoise-inlaid bronze plaque with animal face pattern, the image of a dragon is inlaid with turquoise on the bronze, photographer @梦物如颜)

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Regardless of the academic controversy

It is undeniable that

At that time in China

There once existed such a brilliant civilization

There is still a long way to go

The 3 million square meters of Erlitou ruins

Today, less than 2 percent of the area has been excavated.

More clues may be buried deep underground

They will bring us the truth of the story

Or more mysteries?

Archaeological work at Erlitou continues

And we will keep searching

(There is still a lot of content waiting to be discovered at the Erlitou site, photographer @梦物如颜)

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This article was created by

Written by: Huang Taiji

Editor: Director

Image: Qin Nan

Design: Feng Yizhuo

Map: Zhengyi

Reviewer: Shan Jia & Bang Bang & Chen Zhihao

Cover Photographer: Qin Nan

External review experts

Associate Researcher, Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Leader of Erlitou Working Group

Zhao Haitao

Note:

1. There is still controversy about the dynasty to which the Erlitou site belonged. The current mainstream view is that the site was most likely the capital of the middle and late Xia Dynasty.

2. Chapter 3 of this article uses appropriate literary imagination based on existing archaeological data to describe events that occurred in Erlitou at different periods on the same day.

3. There is still controversy about the culture represented by the Yanshi Shang City and the Zhengzhou Shang City. Some believe that they belong to the Erligang culture, while others believe that they belong to the Shang culture. This article adopts the latter view.

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