Erlitou Culture - Erlitou Site

Erlitou Site

The Erlitou culture may have evolved from the matrix of Longshan culture. Originally centered around Henan and Shanxi Province, the culture spread to Shaanxi and Hubei Province. After the rise of the Erligang culture, the site at Erlitou diminished in size but remained inhabited.

Discovered in 1959 by Xu Xusheng, Erlitou is the largest site associated with the Erlitou Culture, with palace buildings and bronze smelting workshops. Erlitou monopolized the production of ritual bronze vessels. The city is on the Yi River, a tributary of the Luo River, which flows into the Yellow River. The city was 2.4 km by 1.9 km; however, because of flood damage only 3 km2 (1.2 sq mi) are left. The culture is divided into four phases, each of roughly a century.

During Phase I, covering 100 ha (250 acres), Erlitou was a rapidly growing regional center, but not yet an urban civilization.

Urbanization began in Phase II, expanding to 300 ha (740 acres). A palace area of 12 ha (30 acres) was demarcated by four roads. It contained the 150x50 m Palace 3, composed of three courtyards along a 150 meter axis, and Palace 5. A bronze foundry was established to the south of the palatial complex.

The city reached its peak in Phase III, and may have had a population of between 18,000 and 30,000. The palatial complex was surrounded by a 2 meter thick rammed earth wall and Palaces 1, 7, 8, 9 were built. Palaces 3 and 5 were abandoned and replaced by 4200 m2 Palace 2 and Palace 4.

Phase IV was formerly considered a period of decline, but recent excavation has revealed continued building. Palace 6 was built as an extension of Palace 2, and Palaces 10 and 11 were built. Phase IV overlaps with the Lower phase of the Erligang culture (1600–1450 BCE). Around 1600 BCE a walled city was built at Yanshi, about 6 km northeast of Erlitou.

Production of bronzes and other elite goods ceased at the end of Phase IV, at the same time as the Erligang city of Zhengzhou was established 85 km (53 mi) to the east. There is no evidence of destruction by fire or war, but during the Upper Erligang phase (1450–1300 BCE) all the palaces were abandoned, and Erlitou was reduced to a village of 30 ha (74 acres).