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Erligang culture

Erligang culture
Relief map of eastern China with an oval covering most of the North China Plain, the Yanshi and Zhengzhou sites just south of the Yellow River and the Panlongcheng site just north of the Yangtze
Geographical range North China Plain
Period Bronze Age China
Dates c. 1510 – c. 1460 BC
Type site Erligang
Major sites Zhengzhou, Yanshi, Panlongcheng
Preceded by Erlitou culture
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese 二里崗文化
Simplified Chinese 二里岗文化

Coordinates: 34°45′14″N 113°40′34″E / 34.754°N 113.676°E / 34.754; 113.676

The Erligang culture is a Bronze Age urban civilization and archaeological culture in China that existed from approximately 1510 to 1460 BC. The primary site, Zhengzhou Shang City, was discovered at Erligang, within the modern city of Zhengzhou, Henan, in 1951.

The culture was centered in the Yellow River valley. In its early years, it expanded rapidly, reaching the Yangtze River. The culture then gradually shrank from its early peak.

Later investigations showed that the Erligang site was part of an ancient city surrounded by a roughly rectangular wall with a perimeter of about 7 kilometres (4 mi). The walls were of rammed earth construction, a technique dating back to Chinese Neolithic sites of the Longshan culture (c. 3000–1900 BC). It has been estimated that the walls would have been 20 metres (66 ft) wide at the base, rising to a height of 8 metres (26 ft). Large workshops were located outside the city walls, including a bone workshop, a pottery workshop and two bronze vessel workshops. The modern city sits on the remains of the Erligang city, rendering archaeological excavations impossible. Therefore, most of the information about the culture comes from studying other Erligang sites.

The large site at Panlongcheng, on the Yangtze River in Hubei, is currently the largest excavated site of Erligang culture. It was discovered in 1954, and excavated in 1974 and 1976. Since Zhengzhou lacked access to local bronze metals, sites like Panlongcheng were probably used to secure distant metal resources.


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