Archaeological Site of Yin Xu

Archaeological Site of Yin Xu, Anyang

Archaeological Site of Yin Xu, Anyang is the first Chinese ancient city relic which was proved by Oracle-Bone Inscriptions. 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 - 1046 BC). It testifies to the golden age of early Chinese culture, crafts and sciences, a time of great prosperity of the Chinese Bronze Age. (Shang Dynasty is also called Yin Dynasty.) The scenic spot of temple and palace relics of Yinxu is the birthplace of Oracle-Bone Inscriptions and Chinese Archeology.  

                        

A number of royal tombs and palaces, prototypes of later Chinese architecture, have been unearthed on the site, including the Palace and Royal Ancestral Shrines Area, 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 crafts industry. Inscriptions on oracle bones found in Yin Xu bear invaluable testimony to the development of

one of the world’s oldest writing systems, ancient beliefs and social systems.

The 53 building sites excavated before 1973 is the main body of the Palace and Royal Ancestral Shrines Area and the main part of the Yin Capital. All of them are divided into three groups by archeologists: Group A, B and C. Group A consists of 15 imperial palaces and living quarters as the earliest and longest-used buildings in the spot. The 21 inter-connected buildings of Group B, testified to be the temple buildings of Shang royal families, are completed and large. And the 17 buildings of Group C are considered to be the architectures for sacrifice. At present, more than 80 large-scale rammed earth buildings have been excavated in the temple and palace scenic spot according to the patterns of ancient Chinese buildings. These building sites are large and magnificent and strictly arranged, surrounding the Palace Area.