Difference between revisions of "Yin Xu" - New World Encyclopedia

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'''Yinxu''' ({{zh-cpl|c=殷墟|p=Yīnxū|l=Ruins of Yin}}) is the ruins of the last capital of [[China|China's]] [[Shang Dynasty]] (1766 B.C.E. - 1050 B.C.E.). The capital served 255 years for twelve kings in eight generations. Located in the central [[Henan]] province, near the modern city of [[Anyang]], the Garden Museum of Yin Xu is open to the public. Rediscovered in 1899, Yin Xu numbers among the oldest and largest archaeological sites in China. The site became famous as the original source of [[oracle bones]] and [[oracle bone script]], the earliest recorded form of [[Chinese writing]]. The People's Republic of China declared Yinxu one of the [[Historical capitals of China]] while [[UNESCO]] designated it a [[World Heritage Site]] in 2006. 
 
  
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'''Yin Xu''' ({{zh-cpl|c=殷墟|p=Yīnxū|l=Ruins of Yin}}) is the ruins of the last capital of [[China|China's]] [[Shang Dynasty]] (1600 B.C.E.-1046 B.C.E.), also known as the Yin dynasty. It is located in the central [[Henan]] province, near the modern city of [[Anyang]]. King [[Pangeng]] established Yin on the [[Huan River]] during the fourteenth century B.C.E. From the capital, twelve kings in eight generations took the Shang dynasty to its peak before its fall to the [[Zhōu]] (周) dynasty in 1046 B.C.E. From that time, Yin had been abandoned and lost until the end of the nineteenth century.
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Rediscovered in 1899, Yin Xu numbers among the oldest and largest archaeological sites in [[China]]. The site became famous as the original source of [[oracle bones]] and [[oracle bone script]], the earliest recorded form of [[Chinese writing]]. [[Wang Yirong]], director of the [[Imperial College]], discovered the first oracle bones, leading to the discovery China's earliest [[ideograms]]. In the process, he verified the authenticity of the [[Shang dynasty]]. In 1929, the first excavations of Yin Xu began, leading to the unearthing of a palace, tombs, and 100,000 oracle bones. The ongoing excavations since 1950 set the standard for [[archeology]] throughout China. Eighty sites confirm Yin Xu as the spiritual and cultural center of the Yin Dynasty. The [[Tomb of Fu Hao]] and the [[Exhibition Hall of Chariot Pits]] stand out among the excavation sites. The [[People's Republic of China]] declared Yin Xu one of the [[Historical capitals of China]] in 1988, while [[UNESCO]] designated it a [[World Heritage Site]] in 2006.
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[[Image:ChinaHenanAnyang.png|thumb|right|220px|Yin Xu is located near Anyang in Henan province, People's Republic of China.]]
 
==History==
 
==History==
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[[Image:Fuhao's tomb.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Tomb of [[Fu Hao]]), wife King Wu, Shang dynasty ruler. Anyang, Henan, China]]
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At the beginning of the fourteenth century B.C.E. King [[Pangeng]] of the [[Shang Dynasty]] established his capital on the banks of the [[Huan River]]. The city, known as [[Yin (city)|Yin]], also gave it's name to the dynasty of that time, the [[Yin Dynasty]].<ref name="baiShouyi">Shouyi Bai, ''An Outline History of China'' (Beijing: Foreign Language Press, 2002).</ref> King [[Wu Ding]] continued to use Yin as his capital, from that base launching numerous military campaigns against surrounding tribes securing Shang rule. [[Fu Hao]], his wife, led many of the campaigns. King Wu Ding and Fu Hao took the dynasty to its zenith.
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At the beginning of the fourteenth century B.C.E. King [[Pangeng]] of the [[Shang Dynasty]] established his capital on the banks of the [[Huan River]]. The city, known as [[Yin (city)|Yin]], also gave it's name to the dynasty of that time, the [[Yin Dynasty]].<ref name="baiShouyi">{{cite book |last=Bai |first=Shouyi |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=An Outline History of China |year=2002 |publisher=Foreign Language Press |location=Beijing |}}</ref> King [[Wu Ding]] continued to use Yin as his capital, from that base launching numerous military campaigns against surrounding tribes securing Shang rule. [[Fu Hao]]), his wife, led many of the campaigns. King Wu Ding and Fu Hao took the dynasty to its zenith.
 
  
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Later rulers, pleasure-seekers, took little interest in state affairs. Internal strife escalated as social differences within the slave-owning society increased. King [[King Zhou of Shang|Zhòu]] (紂), the last of the Shang dynasty kings, especially earned a reputation as a ruthless and debauched ruler. His increasingly autocratic laws alienated the nobility until King [[King Wu of Zhou|Wu]] of the [[Zhou Dynasty|Zhōu Dynasty]] (周) overthrew the Shang dynasty with popular support from the people. The Zhōu (周) established their capital in [[Feng]] and [[Hao]] near modern day [[Xi'an]], Yin  abandoned to fall into ruin. [[Sima Qian]], in his ''[[Records of the Grand Historian]]'',<ref>Qian Sima and Burton Watson. ''Records of the grand historian. Qin dynasty''. Records of civilization, sources and studies, no. 65. (Hong Kong: Renditions-Columbia University Press, 1993) </ref> mentioned those ruins, but soon they were lost and their location forgotten. The once-great city of Yin had been relegated to legend along with the dynasty that founded it.
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Later rulers, pleasure-seekers, took little interest in state affairs. Internal strife escalated as social differences within the slave-owning society increased. King [[King Zhou of Shang|Zhòu]] (紂), the last of the [[Shang Dynasty]] kings, especially earned a reputation as a ruthless and debauched ruler. His increasingly autocratic laws alienated the nobility until King [[King Wu of Zhou|Wu]] of the [[Zhou Dynasty|Zhōu Dynasty]] (周) overthrew the Shang dynasty with popular support from the people. The Zhōu (周) established their capital in [[Feng]] and [[Hao]] near modern day [[Xi'an]], Yin  abandoned to fall into ruin. [[Sima Qian]], in his ''[[Records of the Grand Historian]],''<ref>Qian Sima and Burton Watson, ''Records of the Grand Historian. Qin Dynasty'' (Hong Kong: Renditions-Columbia University Press, 1993).</ref> mentioned those ruins, but soon they were lost and their location forgotten. The once-great city of Yin had been relegated to legend along with the dynasty that founded it.
  
 
==Archaeological discoveries==
 
==Archaeological discoveries==
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[[Image:Chariots.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Chariots of the Shang dynasty excavated in Yin Xu represent the earliest example of animal-drawn carts discovered in China.]]
 
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Yinxu won famous for the [[oracle bone]]s, discovered in 1899 by [[Wang Yirong]], director of the Imperial College.<ref>Linfu Dong, ''Cross culture and faith: the life and work of James Mellon Menzies'' (Toronto [u.a.]: Univ. of Toronto Press, 2005), p. 272.</ref><!--<ref name="yinxuArch3">{{cite news | first = | last = | authorlink = | author = | coauthors = | title = The Discovery of Oracle Bones and the Locating of Yinxu site | url = | format = | work = | publisher = The Garden Museum of Yin Ruins | pages = | page = | date = | accessdate =  | quote = The Discovery of Oracle Bones and the Locating of Yinxu site. In 1899, Wang Yirong, the director of the Imperial College and a well-known scholar of ancient inscriptions discovered dragon bones (known today as oracle bone inscriptions). He sent his assistants to Xiaotun village in Anyang, and enabled him to confirm that Xiaotun was indeed the Yinxu (Ruins of Yin) in the historical records. In 1917 Wang Guowei successfully deciphered the names in oracle bone inscriptions of Shang ancestors and from these was able to reconstruct the Shang genealogy. It matched the record in Sima Qian’s ‘Shiji’ (Records of the Historian). Thus, the legend of Shang dynasty was confirmed as history and the importance of Yinxu was recognized by the academic world. The first excavations at Yinxu began in 1928. }}</ref>—> Director Wang, suffering from malaria at the time, had been prescribed Longgu ''([[dragon bones]])'' at a traditional Chinese pharmacy. He noticed strange carvings on those bones and concluded that they could have been some of China’s earliest ideograms. Sending his assistant in search of the source of those bones, he traced to the small village of Xiaotun just outside of [[Anyang]].<ref name="cctv">{{cite web |url =http://www.cctv.com/program/travelogue/20041118/101442.shtml |title = An Yang, ancient capital of the Shang Dynasty |accessdate = November 30 |accessdaymonth = |accessmonthday = |accessyear = 2008 |author = |last = |first = |authorlink = |coauthors = |date = |year = |month = |format = |work = |publisher = [[China Central Television]] |pages =  |doi = |archiveurl = |archivedate = |quote = }}</ref> In 1917, [[Wang Guowei]] deciphered the oracle bone inscriptions, identifyingt the names of the Shang kings and constructing a complete Shang genealogy. That decipher perfectly matched those in the ''[[Records of the Grand Historian]]'' by [[Sima Qian]]<ref>Qian Sima and Burton Watson. ''Records of the grand historian. Qin dynasty''. Records of civilization, sources and studies, no. 65. (Hong Kong: Renditions-Columbia University Press, 1993) </ref> confirming the historical authenticity of the legendary Shang dynasty and the archaeological importance of Yinxu.<ref> Kwang-chih Chang, Pingfang Xu, Liancheng Lu, and Sarah Allan, ''The formation of Chinese civilization: an archaeological perspective. The culture & civilization of China'' (New Haven, Conn: Yale University Press, 2003), p. 4</ref><!--<ref name="yinxuArch3">{{cite news | first = | last = | authorlink = | author = | coauthors = | title = The Discovery of Oracle Bones and the Locating of Yinxu site | url = | format = | work = | publisher = The Garden Museum of Yin Ruins | pages = | page = | date = | accessdate =  | quote = The Discovery of Oracle Bones and the Locating of Yinxu site, In 1899, Wang Yiron, the director of the Imperial College and a well-known scholar of ancient inscriptions discovered dragon bones (known today as oracle bone inscriptions). He sent his assistants to Xiaotun village in Anyang, which enabled him to confirm that Xiaotun was indeed the Yinxu (Ruins of Yin) in the historical records. In 1917 Wang Guowei successfully deciphered the names in oracle bone inscriptions of Shang ancestors and from these was able to reconstruct the Shang genealogy. It matched the record in Sima Qian’s ‘Shiji’ (Records of the Historian). Thus, the Shang dynasty legend was confirmed as history and the importance of Yinxu was recognized by the academic world. The first excavations at Yinxu began in 1928. }}</ref> —>
 
  
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[[Li Chi]] of the Institute of History and Philosophy from 1928-1937 led the first excavations at Yinxu.<ref>Bruce G. Trigger, ''A history of archaeological thought'' (Cambridge [England]: Cambridge University Press, 2006), p. 265.</ref> <!--<ref name="yinxuArch4">{{cite news | first = | last = | authorlink = | author = | coauthors = | title = Information Panel | url = | format = | work = | publisher = The Garden Museum of Yin Ruins | pages = | page = | date = | accessdate =  | quote = Since the first excavation in 1928, archaeologists have been working at the Yinxu site for over seventy years. There have been two main periods of excavation: (1) from 1928-1937, when excavations were carried out by the Institute of History and Philosophy; and (2) since 1950, when the Institute of Archeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (formerly Chinese Academy of Sciences) have been responsible for excavations have yielded some very important results: evidence of stratification of the Hougang site, remains of palaces and temples, royal cemeteries, oracle bone inscriptions, bronze-and bone-workshops and the discovery of the Shang city on the north bank of the Huan(g) River. }}</ref>—> They uncovered the remains of a royal palace, several royal tombs, and more than 100,000 oracle bones that showed the Shang had a well-structured script with a complete system of written signs. <ref name="cctv">{{cite web |url =http://www.cctv.com/program/travelogue/20041118/101442.shtml |title = An Yang, ancient capital of the Shang Dynasty |accessdate = November 30 |accessdaymonth = |accessmonthday = |accessyear = 2008 |author = |last = |first = |authorlink = |coauthors = |date = |year = |month = |format = |work = |publisher = [[China Central Television]] |pages =  |doi = |archiveurl = |archivedate = |quote = }}</ref> Since 1950 ongoing excavations by the Archaeological Institute of the Chinese Social Sciences Academy have uncovered evidence of stratification at the Hougang site, remains of palaces and temples, royal cemeteries, oracle bone inscriptions, bronze and bone workshops and the discovery of the Shang city on the north bank of the [[Yellow River|Huang River]].<ref>Lamberg Karlovsky, Clifford Charles, and Jeremy Arac Sabloff, ''The rise and fall of civilizations: modern archaeological approaches to ancient cultures ; selected readings'' (Menlo Park, Calif: Cummings, 1974), p. 449</ref><!--<ref name="yinxuArch4">{{cite news | first = | last = | authorlink = | author = | coauthors = | title = Information Panel | url = | format = | work = | publisher = The Garden Museum of Yin Ruins | pages = | page = | date = | accessdate =  | quote = Since the first excavation in 1928, archaeologists have been working at the Yinxu site for over seventy years. There have been two main periods of excavation: (1) from 1928-1937, when excavations were carried out by the Institute of History and Philosophy; and (2) since 1950, when the Institute of Archeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (formerly Chinese Academy of Sciences) have been responsible for excavations have yielded some very important results: evidence of stratification of the Hougang site, remains of palaces and temples, royal cemeteries, oracle bone inscriptions, bronze and bone workshops and the discovery of the Shang city on the north bank of the Huan(g) River. }}</ref>—> One of the largest and oldest sites of Chinese archaeology, excavations in Yin Xu laid the foundation for work across the country.
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Yinxu won renown for the [[oracle bone]]s, discovered in 1899 by [[Wang Yirong]], director of the Imperial College.<ref>Linfu Dong, ''Cross Culture and Faith: The Life and Work of James Mellon Menzies'' (Toronto: Univ. of Toronto Press, 2005), 272.</ref> Director Wang, suffering from [[malaria]] at the time, had been prescribed Longgu ''([[dragon bones]])'' at a traditional Chinese pharmacy. He noticed strange carvings on those bones and concluded that they could have been some of China’s earliest ideograms. Sending his assistant in search of the source of those bones, he traced to the small village of Xiaotun just outside of [[Anyang]].<ref name="cctv">CCTV, [http://www.cctv.com/program/travelogue/20041118/101442.shtml An Yang, ancient capital of the Shang Dynasty.] Retrieved November 30, 2008.</ref> In 1917, [[Wang Guowei]] deciphered the oracle bone inscriptions, identifying the names of the Shang kings and constructing a complete Shang genealogy. That decipher perfectly matched those in the ''[[Records of the Grand Historian]]'' by [[Sima Qian]],<ref>Qian Sima and Burton Watson, ''Records of the Grand historian. Qin Dynasty'' (Hong Kong: Renditions-Columbia University Press, 1993).</ref> confirming the historical authenticity of the legendary Shang Dynasty and the archaeological importance of Yinxu.<ref>Kwang-chih Chang, Pingfang Xu, Liancheng Lu, and Sarah Allan, ''The Formation of Chinese civilization: an archaeological perspective. The culture & civilization of China'' (New Haven, CN: Yale University Press, 2003), 4.</ref>
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[[Li Chi]] of the Institute of History and Philosophy from 1928-1937 led the first excavations at Yinxu.<ref>Bruce G. Trigger, ''A History of Archaeological Thought'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006), 265.</ref> They uncovered the remains of a royal palace, several royal tombs, and more than 100,000 oracle bones that showed the Shang had a well-structured script with a complete system of written signs.<ref name="cctv"/> Since 1950, ongoing excavations by the Archaeological Institute of the Chinese Social Sciences Academy have uncovered evidence of stratification at the Hougang site, remains of palaces and temples, royal cemeteries, oracle bone inscriptions, bronze and bone workshops and the discovery of the Shang city on the north bank of the [[Yellow River|Huang River]].<ref>Lamberg Karlovsky, Clifford Charles, and Jeremy Arac Sabloff, ''The Rise and Fall of Civilizations: Modern Archaeological Approaches to Ancient Cultures; Selected Readings'' (Menlo Park, Calif: Cummings, 1974), 449.</ref> One of the largest and oldest sites of Chinese archaeology, excavations in Yin Xu laid the foundation for work across the country.
  
 
==Excavation sites==
 
==Excavation sites==
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At {{convert|30|km2}}, Yin Xu measures as the largest archaeological site in China and excavations  have uncovered over eighty rammed-earth foundation sites including palaces, shrines, tombs and workshops. From those remains, archaeologists have confirmed that Yin Xu served as the spiritual and cultural center of the Yin Dynasty.<ref>Li Liu, ''The Chinese neolithic trajectories to early states.'' New studies in archaeology (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2004), p. 6.</ref><!--<ref name="yinxuMusSites">{{cite news | first = | last = | authorlink = | author = | coauthors = | title = Foundation Sites of Palaces and Ancestral Shrines of Yinxu | url = | format = | work = | publisher = The Garden Museum of Yin Ruins | pages = | page = | date = | accessdate =  | quote = Yinxu is the historical remains of the capital city of the Period of the Shang Dynasty. In 1300 B.C.E., King Pan Gang removed his capital to the area around Xiaotun Village in the northwest of the present Anyang City, which was call Yin in the history. The capital lasted 255 for 12 kings in 8 generations.
 
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Being the main component of Yinxu, the Palace and Ancestral Shrine Foundation Sites of Yinxu covered a total area of about 700 thousand square meters. The archaeological excavation was started from 30s of the last century and discovered over 80 rammed-earth foundation sites, among which there were not only palaces, ancestral shrines, sacrificial altar, defensive trench, but also workshops, oracle bone pits, sacrificial pits, noblemen’s tombs and so on, and a large number of oracle bone inscriptions, bronze vessels, jade objects and other precious historical relics have been unearthed. Being the initiating place of the Chinese archaeology, Yinxu was in the first group of the important units of historical relics under the protection of the state.
 
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The three key elements of the capital city, the written language and bronzes possessed by the culture of Yinxu have been the witness of the Chinese long history and splendid civilization. }}</ref>—>
 
  
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[[Image:Oracle Bone Inscriptions on display.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Oracle Bone Inscriptions on display, Yin Xu site, Anyang, Henan, China]]
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At {{convert|30|km2}}, Yin Xu measures as the largest archaeological site in China and excavations  have uncovered over eighty rammed-earth foundation sites including palaces, shrines, tombs and workshops. From those remains, archaeologists have confirmed that Yin Xu served as the spiritual and cultural center of the Yin Dynasty.<ref>Li Liu, ''The Chinese Neolithic Trajectories to Early States'' (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2004), 6.</ref>
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The [[Tomb of Fu Hao]] stands out as the best preserved of the Shang Dynasty royal tombs unearthed at Yinxu. The extraordinary [[Fu Hao|Lady Hao]] had been a military leader and the wife of Shang King [[Wu Ding]]. Discovered in 1976, the tomb has been dated to 1250 B.C.E. Completely undisturbed, the tomb escaped the looting that had damaged the other tombs on the site. In addition to the remains of the Queen, six dog skeletons, sixteen human slave skeletons, and numerous grave goods of huge archaeological value had also been discovered in the tomb. Thoroughly excavated and extensively restored, Fu Hao's tomb has been opened for public viewing.
 
The [[Tomb of Fu Hao]] stands out as the best preserved of the Shang Dynasty royal tombs unearthed at Yinxu. The extraordinary [[Fu Hao|Lady Hao]] had been a military leader and the wife of Shang King [[Wu Ding]]. Discovered in 1976, the tomb has been dated to 1250 B.C.E. Completely undisturbed, the tomb escaped the looting that had damaged the other tombs on the site. In addition to the remains of the Queen, six dog skeletons, sixteen human slave skeletons, and numerous grave goods of huge archaeological value had also been discovered in the tomb. Thoroughly excavated and extensively restored, Fu Hao's tomb has been opened for public viewing.
  
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Also located on site is the Exhibition Hall of Chariot Pits where the earliest samples of animal-driven carts discovered by Chinese archaeology are on display.<ref>William Watson, ''The arts of China'', Yale University Press Pelican history of art (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995.), p. 11</ref><!--<ref name="yinxuMus2">{{cite news | first = | last = | authorlink = | author = | coauthors = | title = Exhibition Hall of Chariot Pits | url = | format =
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The Exhibition Hall of Chariot Pits, also located on site, displays the earliest animal-driven carts discovered by Chinese archaeologists.<ref>William Watson, ''The Arts of China'' (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995), 11.</ref> The Anyang Working Station of the Archaeological Institute of the Chinese Social Science Academy and the Historical Relics Working Team of Anyang Municipality excavated those artifacts. They unearthed them in the northern and southern lands of Liujiazhuang village and the eastern land of Xiaomintun village, putting on the artifacts display within the hall.<ref>Donald B. Wagner, ''Iron and Steel in Ancient China'' (Leiden, Netherlands: E.J. Brill, 1993), 519.</ref> The six pits each contain the remains of a carriage and two horses. Five of the pits contained the remains of a human sacrifice (four adult males and one child). The remains of an {{convert|8.35|m}} wide Shang Dynasty road discovered at Anyang Aero Sports School in 2000.<ref>Peter Hessler, ''Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present'' (New York: HarperCollins, 2006), 3.</ref>
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| work = | publisher = The Garden Museum of Yin Ruins | pages = | page =
 
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| date = | accessdate =  | quote = The chariots of the Shang Dynasty excavated in Yinxu have been the earliest sample of animal-driven carts discovered by Chinese archaeology. These 6 chariot pits of the Shang Dynasty and the remains of road of the Shang Dynasty were excavated separately by Anyang Working Station of the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Historical Relics Working Team of Anyang Municipality in the protective area of Yinxin in recent years. The chariot pits were preserved well basically, one chariot one pit, there are two horses in each of the 5 pits and there is one person buried in each of the 4 pits. Through the appraisement, most of the immolated were adult men and one was a boy. The chariot pit of the Shang Dynasty have not only exhibited the level of civilization of the ancient animal-drawn carts, but also reflected the cruel institution of immolation in the slave society. }}</ref>—> These artifacts were excavated by the Anyang Working Station of the Archaeological Institute of the Chinese Social Science Academy and the Historical Relics Working Team of Anyang Municipality in the northern and southern lands of Liujiazhuang village and the eastern land of Xiaomintun village and put on display within the hall.<ref>Donald B. Wagner, ''Iron and steel in ancient China''. Handbuch der Orientalistik, 9. Bd. (Leiden, Netherlands: E.J. Brill, 1993), p. 519</ref><!--<ref name="yinxuMus1">{{cite news | first = | last = | authorlink = | author = | coauthors = | title = The Exhibition Hall of Chariot pits of the Yin Dynasty | url = | format =
 
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| work = | publisher = The Garden Museum of Yin Ruins | pages = | page =
 
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| date = | accessdate =  | quote = The 6 pits of the Yin Dynasty and the restored remains of a road of the Yin Dynasty exhibited here were excavated separately by Anyang Working Station of the Archaeological Institute of the Chinese Social Science Academy and the Historical Relics Working Team of Anyang Municipality in the northern and southern lands of Liujiazhuang Village and the eastern land of Xiaomintun Village in the protective area of the Yin Ruins, and the remains of the road of the Shang Dynasty was excavated in the southern land of Anyang Aero Sports School. These chariot pits were preserved well basically and are of high value of academic research and exhibition. There is one chariot in each pit, there are two horses in each of the 5 pits and there is one person buried in each of the 4 pits. Through the appraisement, most of the immolated were a full man and one was a boy. The chariot pits of the Yin Dynasty have not only exhibited the level of civilization of the ancient-animal-drawn cars, but also reflected the cruel institution of immolation in slave society. }}</ref>—> The six pits each contain the remains of a carriage and two horses. Five of the pits were also found to contain the remains of a human sacrifice (four adult males and one child). Also on display are the remains of an 8.35 meter wide Shang Dynasty road discovered at Anyang Aero Sports School in [[2000 in archaeology|2000]].<ref>Peter Hessler, ''Oracle bones: a journey between China's past and present'' (New York: HarperCollins, 2006). p. 3.</ref><!--<ref name="yinxuMusRoad">{{cite news | first = | last = | authorlink = | author = | coauthors = | title = The Remains of a Road of the Shang Dynasty (with racks to the two directions) | url = | format =
 
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| work = | publisher = The Garden Museum of Yin Ruins | pages = | page =
 
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| date = | accessdate =  | quote =The road was about 8.35 meters wide. This was discovered in Anyang Aero Sports School in 2000. }}</ref>—>
 
  
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In 1988 after archaeologists' proposal Yinxu became the listed as the oldest of the seven [[Historical capitals of China]] and in 2006 the site was inscribed on the [[UNESCO]] list of [[World Heritage Sites]].<ref name="who">{{cite web |url =http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1114 |title =Yin Xu |accessdate = November 30 |accessdaymonth = |accessmonthday = |accessyear = 2008 |author = |last = |first = |authorlink = |coauthors = |date = |year = |month = |format = |work = |publisher = UNESCO |pages =  |doi = |archiveurl = |archivedate = |quote =The archaeological site of Yin Xu, close to Anyang City, some 500 km south of Beijing, is an ancient capital city of the late Shang Dynasty (1300 to 1046 B.C.E.). It testifies to the golden age of early Chinese culture, crafts and sciences, a time of great prosperity of the Chinese Bronze Age. A number of royal tombs and palaces, prototypes of later Chinese architecture, have been unearthed on the site. The site includes the Palace and Royal Ancestral Shrines Area (1,000m x 650m), with more than 80 house foundations, and the only tomb of a member of the royal family of the Shang Dynasty to have remained intact, the Tomb of Fu Hao. The large number and superb craftsmanship of the burial accessories found there bear testimony to the advanced level of Shang handicraft industry, and form now one of the national treasures of China. Numerous pits containing bovine shoulder blades and turtle plastrons have been found in Yin Xu. Inscriptions on these oracle bones bear invaluable testimony to the development of one of the world’s oldest writing systems, ancient beliefs and social systems. }}</ref>
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In 1988, Yinxu became the oldest of the seven [[Historical capitals of China]] while in 2006 [[UNESCO]] designated Yin Xu a [[World Heritage Site]].<ref name="who">UNESCO, [http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1114 Yin Xu.] Retrieved November 30, 2008.</ref>
  
 
==Gallery==
 
==Gallery==
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<center>
 
<center>
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
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Image:Shang Dynasty Pit.jpg|Shang Dynasty Pit, Anyang, Henan, China
 
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Image:Oracle Bone Inscriptions.jpg|Oracle Bone inscriptions corresponding to modern Chinese surnames at Yin Xu site, Anyang, Henan, China
 
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Image:Yin Xu Ruins Historical Site.jpg|Yin Xu historical site entrance, Anyang, Henan, China
 
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Image:Human Sacrifices.jpg|Sacrificial remains have been recovered from several localities at Yin Xu, Anyang, Henan, China
 
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Image:Oracle bone pit no. yh127.jpg|The oracle bone pit no. yh127 has been called as "the earliest archive of oracle inscriptions of China".
 
 
Image:Tomb Fu Hao YinXu.jpg|Burial pit at Tomb of Lady Fu Hao
 
Image:Tomb Fu Hao YinXu.jpg|Burial pit at Tomb of Lady Fu Hao
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
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==See also==
 
==See also==
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{{Contains Chinese text}}
 
 
* [[List of World Heritage Sites in Asia and Australasia]]
 
* [[List of World Heritage Sites in Asia and Australasia]]
 
* [[Oracle bone]]
 
* [[Oracle bone]]
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* [[History of China]]
 
* [[History of China]]
  
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==Notes==
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<references/>
  
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==References==
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* Bai, Shouyi, and Zhao Yang. 2002. ''An Outline History of China.'' Beijing: Foreign Languages Press. ISBN 9787119023472.
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* Chang, Kwang-chih, Pingfang Xu, Liancheng Lu, and Sarah Allan. 2003. ''The Formation of Chinese Civilization: An Archaeological Perspective.'' New Haven, CN: Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300093827.
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* Dong, Linfu. 2005. ''Cross Culture and Faith: The Life and Work of James Mellon Menzies.'' Toronto: Univ. of Toronto Press. ISBN 9780802038692.
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* Hessler, Peter. 2006. ''Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present.'' New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060826581.
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* Liu, Li. 2004. ''The Chinese Neolithic Trajectories to Early States.'' Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780511080562.
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* Trigger, Bruce G. 2006. ''A History of Archaeological Thought.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521840767.
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* Sima, Qian, and Burton Watson. 1993. ''Records of the Grand Historian. Qin dynasty.'' Hong Kong: Renditions-Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231081641.
 +
* Wagner, Donald B. 1993. ''Iron and Steel in Ancient China. Handbuch der Orientalistik, 9. Bd.'' Leiden, Netherlands: E.J. Brill. ISBN 9789004096325.
 +
* Watson, William. 1995. ''The Arts of China.'' New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300059892.
  
−
==Notes==
 
−
External links retrieved November 30, 2008.
 
−
{{reflist}}
 
  
−
==References==
 
−
* Bai, Shouyi, and Zhao Yang. 2002. An outline history of China. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press. ISBN 9787119023472.
 
−
* Chang, Kwang-chih, Pingfang Xu, Liancheng Lu, and Sarah Allan. 2003. The formation of Chinese civilization: an archaeological perspective. The culture & civilization of China. New Haven, Conn: Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300093827.
 
−
* Dong, Linfu. 2005. Cross culture and faith: the life and work of James Mellon Menzies. Toronto [u.a.]: Univ. of Toronto Press. ISBN 9780802038692.
 
−
* Hessler, Peter. 2006. Oracle bones: a journey between China's past and present. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060826581.
 
−
* Liu, Li. 2004. The Chinese neolithic trajectories to early states. New studies in archaeology. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780511080562.
 
−
* Trigger, Bruce G. 2006. A history of archaeological thought. Cambridge [England]: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521840767.
 
−
* Sima, Qian, and Burton Watson. 1993. Records of the grand historian. Qin dynasty. Records of civilization, sources and studies, no. 65. Hong Kong: Renditions-Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231081641.
 
−
* Wagner, Donald B. 1993. Iron and steel in ancient China. Handbuch der Orientalistik, 9. Bd. Leiden, Netherlands: E.J. Brill. ISBN 9789004096325.
 
−
* Watson, William. 1995. The arts of China. Yale University Press Pelican history of art. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300059892.
 
  
−
==External Links==
 
−
Links retrieved November 30, 2008.
 
−
* [http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1114 UNESCO Yin Xu World Heritage citation]
 
−
* [http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/henan/zhengzhou/yin-ruins.htm Yin Xu Ruins]
 
−
* [http://www.worldheritagesite.org/pics/1114/index.html Picture Gallery Yin Xu]
 
−
* [http://www.chinaculture.org/classics/2008-11/05/content_316477.htm Ruins Shine With Pristine Beauty]
 
  
 
{{s-start}}
 
{{s-start}}

Latest revision as of 11:14, 24 May 2023

Coordinates: 36°07′17″N 114°19′01″E / 36.12139, 114.31694

Yin Xu*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Yinxu, the ruins of Yin, the capital (1350 - 1046 B.C.E.) of the Shang (Yin) Dynasty.
State Party Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China
Type Cultural
Criteria ii, iii, iv, vi
Reference 1114
Region** Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription 2006  (30th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
** Region as classified by UNESCO.

Yin Xu (Chinese: 殷墟; pinyin: Yīnxū; literally "Ruins of Yin") is the ruins of the last capital of China's Shang Dynasty (1600 B.C.E.-1046 B.C.E.), also known as the Yin dynasty. It is located in the central Henan province, near the modern city of Anyang. King Pangeng established Yin on the Huan River during the fourteenth century B.C.E. From the capital, twelve kings in eight generations took the Shang dynasty to its peak before its fall to the Zhōu (周) dynasty in 1046 B.C.E. From that time, Yin had been abandoned and lost until the end of the nineteenth century.

Rediscovered in 1899, Yin Xu numbers among the oldest and largest archaeological sites in China. The site became famous as the original source of oracle bones and oracle bone script, the earliest recorded form of Chinese writing. Wang Yirong, director of the Imperial College, discovered the first oracle bones, leading to the discovery China's earliest ideograms. In the process, he verified the authenticity of the Shang dynasty. In 1929, the first excavations of Yin Xu began, leading to the unearthing of a palace, tombs, and 100,000 oracle bones. The ongoing excavations since 1950 set the standard for archeology throughout China. Eighty sites confirm Yin Xu as the spiritual and cultural center of the Yin Dynasty. The Tomb of Fu Hao and the Exhibition Hall of Chariot Pits stand out among the excavation sites. The People's Republic of China declared Yin Xu one of the Historical capitals of China in 1988, while UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site in 2006.

Yin Xu is located near Anyang in Henan province, People's Republic of China.

History

At the beginning of the fourteenth century B.C.E. King Pangeng of the Shang Dynasty established his capital on the banks of the Huan River. The city, known as Yin, also gave it's name to the dynasty of that time, the Yin Dynasty.[1] King Wu Ding continued to use Yin as his capital, from that base launching numerous military campaigns against surrounding tribes securing Shang rule. Fu Hao, his wife, led many of the campaigns. King Wu Ding and Fu Hao took the dynasty to its zenith.

Later rulers, pleasure-seekers, took little interest in state affairs. Internal strife escalated as social differences within the slave-owning society increased. King Zhòu (紂), the last of the Shang Dynasty kings, especially earned a reputation as a ruthless and debauched ruler. His increasingly autocratic laws alienated the nobility until King Wu of the Zhōu Dynasty (周) overthrew the Shang dynasty with popular support from the people. The Zhōu (周) established their capital in Feng and Hao near modern day Xi'an, Yin abandoned to fall into ruin. Sima Qian, in his Records of the Grand Historian,[2] mentioned those ruins, but soon they were lost and their location forgotten. The once-great city of Yin had been relegated to legend along with the dynasty that founded it.

Archaeological discoveries

Yinxu won renown for the oracle bones, discovered in 1899 by Wang Yirong, director of the Imperial College.[3] Director Wang, suffering from malaria at the time, had been prescribed Longgu (dragon bones) at a traditional Chinese pharmacy. He noticed strange carvings on those bones and concluded that they could have been some of China’s earliest ideograms. Sending his assistant in search of the source of those bones, he traced to the small village of Xiaotun just outside of Anyang.[4] In 1917, Wang Guowei deciphered the oracle bone inscriptions, identifying the names of the Shang kings and constructing a complete Shang genealogy. That decipher perfectly matched those in the Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian,[5] confirming the historical authenticity of the legendary Shang Dynasty and the archaeological importance of Yinxu.[6]

Li Chi of the Institute of History and Philosophy from 1928-1937 led the first excavations at Yinxu.[7] They uncovered the remains of a royal palace, several royal tombs, and more than 100,000 oracle bones that showed the Shang had a well-structured script with a complete system of written signs.[4] Since 1950, ongoing excavations by the Archaeological Institute of the Chinese Social Sciences Academy have uncovered evidence of stratification at the Hougang site, remains of palaces and temples, royal cemeteries, oracle bone inscriptions, bronze and bone workshops and the discovery of the Shang city on the north bank of the Huang River.[8] One of the largest and oldest sites of Chinese archaeology, excavations in Yin Xu laid the foundation for work across the country.

Excavation sites

At 30 square kilometers (12 sq mi), Yin Xu measures as the largest archaeological site in China and excavations have uncovered over eighty rammed-earth foundation sites including palaces, shrines, tombs and workshops. From those remains, archaeologists have confirmed that Yin Xu served as the spiritual and cultural center of the Yin Dynasty.[9]

The Tomb of Fu Hao stands out as the best preserved of the Shang Dynasty royal tombs unearthed at Yinxu. The extraordinary Lady Hao had been a military leader and the wife of Shang King Wu Ding. Discovered in 1976, the tomb has been dated to 1250 B.C.E. Completely undisturbed, the tomb escaped the looting that had damaged the other tombs on the site. In addition to the remains of the Queen, six dog skeletons, sixteen human slave skeletons, and numerous grave goods of huge archaeological value had also been discovered in the tomb. Thoroughly excavated and extensively restored, Fu Hao's tomb has been opened for public viewing.

The Exhibition Hall of Chariot Pits, also located on site, displays the earliest animal-driven carts discovered by Chinese archaeologists.[10] The Anyang Working Station of the Archaeological Institute of the Chinese Social Science Academy and the Historical Relics Working Team of Anyang Municipality excavated those artifacts. They unearthed them in the northern and southern lands of Liujiazhuang village and the eastern land of Xiaomintun village, putting on the artifacts display within the hall.[11] The six pits each contain the remains of a carriage and two horses. Five of the pits contained the remains of a human sacrifice (four adult males and one child). The remains of an 8.35 meters (27.4 ft) wide Shang Dynasty road discovered at Anyang Aero Sports School in 2000.[12]

In 1988, Yinxu became the oldest of the seven Historical capitals of China while in 2006 UNESCO designated Yin Xu a World Heritage Site.[13]

Gallery

  • Burial pit at Tomb of Lady Fu Hao

See also

  • List of World Heritage Sites in Asia and Australasia
  • Oracle bone
  • China
  • History of China

Notes

  1. ↑ Shouyi Bai, An Outline History of China (Beijing: Foreign Language Press, 2002).
  2. ↑ Qian Sima and Burton Watson, Records of the Grand Historian. Qin Dynasty (Hong Kong: Renditions-Columbia University Press, 1993).
  3. ↑ Linfu Dong, Cross Culture and Faith: The Life and Work of James Mellon Menzies (Toronto: Univ. of Toronto Press, 2005), 272.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 CCTV, An Yang, ancient capital of the Shang Dynasty. Retrieved November 30, 2008.
  5. ↑ Qian Sima and Burton Watson, Records of the Grand historian. Qin Dynasty (Hong Kong: Renditions-Columbia University Press, 1993).
  6. ↑ Kwang-chih Chang, Pingfang Xu, Liancheng Lu, and Sarah Allan, The Formation of Chinese civilization: an archaeological perspective. The culture & civilization of China (New Haven, CN: Yale University Press, 2003), 4.
  7. ↑ Bruce G. Trigger, A History of Archaeological Thought (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006), 265.
  8. ↑ Lamberg Karlovsky, Clifford Charles, and Jeremy Arac Sabloff, The Rise and Fall of Civilizations: Modern Archaeological Approaches to Ancient Cultures; Selected Readings (Menlo Park, Calif: Cummings, 1974), 449.
  9. ↑ Li Liu, The Chinese Neolithic Trajectories to Early States (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2004), 6.
  10. ↑ William Watson, The Arts of China (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995), 11.
  11. ↑ Donald B. Wagner, Iron and Steel in Ancient China (Leiden, Netherlands: E.J. Brill, 1993), 519.
  12. ↑ Peter Hessler, Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present (New York: HarperCollins, 2006), 3.
  13. ↑ UNESCO, Yin Xu. Retrieved November 30, 2008.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Bai, Shouyi, and Zhao Yang. 2002. An Outline History of China. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press. ISBN 9787119023472.
  • Chang, Kwang-chih, Pingfang Xu, Liancheng Lu, and Sarah Allan. 2003. The Formation of Chinese Civilization: An Archaeological Perspective. New Haven, CN: Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300093827.
  • Dong, Linfu. 2005. Cross Culture and Faith: The Life and Work of James Mellon Menzies. Toronto: Univ. of Toronto Press. ISBN 9780802038692.
  • Hessler, Peter. 2006. Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060826581.
  • Liu, Li. 2004. The Chinese Neolithic Trajectories to Early States. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780511080562.
  • Trigger, Bruce G. 2006. A History of Archaeological Thought. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521840767.
  • Sima, Qian, and Burton Watson. 1993. Records of the Grand Historian. Qin dynasty. Hong Kong: Renditions-Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231081641.
  • Wagner, Donald B. 1993. Iron and Steel in Ancient China. Handbuch der Orientalistik, 9. Bd. Leiden, Netherlands: E.J. Brill. ISBN 9789004096325.
  • Watson, William. 1995. The Arts of China. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300059892.


Preceded by:
' 		Capital of China
1350 B.C.E.-1046 B.C.E. 		Succeeded by: Hao
World Heritage Sites in China

Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains · Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom · Classical Gardens of Suzhou · Dazu Rock Carvings · Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace · The Great Wall · Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area · Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang · Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties · Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area · Kaiping Diaolou and Villages · Old Town of Lijiang · Longmen Grottoes · Lushan National Park · Historic Centre of Macau · Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor · Mogao Caves · Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area · Mount Huangshan · Mount Qingcheng and Dujiangyan Irrigation System · Mount Tai (Taishan) · Mount Wuyi · Chengde Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples · Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian · Ancient City of Ping Yao · Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries · South China Karst · Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing · Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and Kong Family Mansion, Qufu · Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing · Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas · Villages in Southern Anhui - Xidi and Hongcun · Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area · Yin Xu · Yungang Grottoes

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