Social differentiation among non-elites in China's central plains, 1735-1530 BCE : a household archaeology perspective on the Erlitou site /
Since its discovery in 1959, research on the Erlitou site has revealed China's first territorial state, dating from 1753 to 1530 BCE according to the latest C-14 dating. The capital's large rammed-earth structures and enclosed inner city suggest strong royal economic and labor-organizing c...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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Oxford, UK :
BAR Publishing,
[2025].
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| Series: | BAR international series ;
3242. BAR international series. Archaeology of East Asia ; v. 14. |
| Subjects: |
| Summary: | Since its discovery in 1959, research on the Erlitou site has revealed China's first territorial state, dating from 1753 to 1530 BCE according to the latest C-14 dating. The capital's large rammed-earth structures and enclosed inner city suggest strong royal economic and labor-organizing capacities. The southern workshop enclosure housed elite-sponsored crafts like bronze casting and turquoise working. The city's settlement system relied on resource acquisition and tribute. However, existing studies lack focus on internal social complexity, especially bottom-up social differentiation. This book challenges the notion of a homogeneous non-elite class, being the first to study Erlitou society via household archaeology, focusing on non-elite households in the capital. Using multi-dimensional scaling, it uncovers the majority, overshadowed by elites and splendid artifacts, expanding household archaeology's application in China's Bronze Age. |
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| Physical Description: | xvii, 85 pages : illustrations (some color), plans ; 30 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 79-85). |
| ISBN: | 9781407363684 1407363689 |