New insights into the settlement patterns of the capital city at Erlitou

Abstract

Abstract By examining the structural components, settlement plan, and developmental trajectory of the capital city at Erlitou, it is possible to explore the emergence of the state, kingship, and accompanying characteristics. Erlitou has been subjected to intensive excavation, revealing roads, walls, huge sacrificial pits, and palatial buildings with multiple courtyards as indicated by foundation No. 5. As to the developmental trajectory of the settlement pattern, all principal components of a capital city appeared in phase II of the Erlitou culture. A layout based on intersecting roads also formed, thus laying a foundation for the plan of an urban center in later periods. The open urban system formed during the Erlitou period changed to a closed system during later periods. The Erlitou site went through an initial phase during which it flourished as a capital city, then a period when principal urban components were gradually abandoned. The site became a high-ranking settlement during the early Erligang period. There is a relationship between the changes through time in pottery typology and the development of the settlement pattern. Kin-based residential and burial areas define the spatial division of the capital city at Erlitou. The mode of craft production is characterized by a large-scale workshop enclosure along with small-scale production sites.