The Erlitou site, first discovered in 1959, is located near Erlitou village of Luoyang's Yanshi district and dates back to some 3,500 to 3,800 years ago. The hypothesis that the Erlitou site was in fact Zhenxun, the last capital of the Xia Dynasty, has become a mainstream in China's archaeological circle. Both the Xia-Shang-Zhou Chronology Project and the Project for Tracing Chinese Civilization Origins regard it as a core site.According to a news briefing on Erlitou archaeological discoveries held on May 28, 2018, the Erlitou culture, represented by the Erlitou site, was the core and vanguard in the overall development of Chinese civilization.
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It was suggested that about 200 years after the founding of the Xia Dynasty, King Taikang built his capital in Erlitou of Yanshi, the largest of its kind nationwide at that time. The Erlitou site has been characterized by many breakthroughs: for example, as a capital built in the Central Plains with the palaces in the center, a layout around the central axis ("Center" is a symbol for kingship in traditional Chinese culture), bronze wares made by the mold-casting technique and a formation of ritualistic and music system, all indicating it as the earliest central kingdom in a vast territory in East Asia.
Since its first excavation in 1959, over 60 years have passed; so far, the Erlitou site has been identified as China's earliest imperial city with the earliest urban road network, palace complex, bronze ritual vessels and state-owned workshops.
The Erlitou site covers a total area of 3 million square meters, but only less than 2 percent has been excavated. More puzzles are waiting to be uncovered. (Zhao Hanqing & Yang Jiaxin)
