Co-Evolution of Human Societies and Landscapes in the Capital Territory of Late Shang State (Phase II)

University Of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis MN

Investigators

Abstract

With support from the National Science Foundation an American and Chinese team led by George Rapp and Zhichun Jing from the American side and Wang Wei and Tang Jigen from the Chinese side will continue archaeological research at Late Shang site of Anyang in the Chinese Province of Henan. This multidisciplinary research focuses on the co-evolution of human societies and landscapes in the capital territory of the Late Shang state. With prior NSF support the project located and is excavating a major new site, now called Huanbei Shang City [Huanbei means 'north of the Huan River'], that fills in an important chronological gap in our knowledge of the Shang peoples. This site bridges the critical gap between the Zhengzhou phase of the Early Shang and the Yinxu phase of the Late Shang. This site was discovered by systematic geoarchaeological core drilling that was undertaken to determine the third [vertical] dimension and nature of the archaeological deposits in the central region of the Late Shang Dynasty. The team will now continue its excavation of Huanbei Shang City, its archaeological and geoarchaeological surveys, and its studies of environmental change in relation to the operation and final collapse of the Late Shang state. Further excavation at Huanbei Shang City should clarify its political status, including the question of its possible status as the capital during the reign of Pan Geng and two succeeding kings. Complex societies developed in many parts of the world apparently independently and roughly at the same time. Given similarities among individual cases, researchers believe that the emergence of civilization results not from historical accident but from an underlying developmental process which is amenable to scientific description. To gain insight, use of a comparative approach allows individual cases in different parts of the world to be examined for common features and trends. Given intensive archaeological research over many decades a great deal is known about cradles of civilization in Middle and South American and the Near East. Unfortunately the prehistory of China is less well understood and the work of Dr. Rapp and colleagues will help to fill a major gap in the Central Chinese sequence.