Panlongcheng () or Panlong City is an archaeological site associated with the Erligang culture () during the

Shang dynasty The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Dynasties in Chinese history, Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium BC, traditionally suc ...

period (). The site is located just north of the

Yangtze river The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flow ...

, on the bank of the Panlong lake, and is surrounded by the Fushui river in

Huangpi Huangpi District () is one of 13 urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, China, situated on the northern (left) bank of the Yangtze River. The Sheshui enters the Yangtze at Huangpi. The district is pr ...

Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei Province in the People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the ninth-most populous Chinese city a ...

Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The pr ...

, China. Panlongcheng is the largest excavated Erligang site ( at its greatest), showing the southernmost reach of the Erligang culture at its peak. It was discovered in 1954, and excavated in 1974 and 1976. The site at Panlongcheng was sparsely inhabited during the Erlitou period (), consisting mainly of several small settlements and occupying an area of around . During the early Erligang period, the site suddenly grew rapidly, reaching an area of around . The central town was surrounded by a '' hangtu'', or rammed earth, wall. Inside the walls two palaces occupying were discovered. Panlongcheng may have been an Erligang outpost used to control regional resources, such as copper mines. The construction and bronze casting techniques at Panlongcheng are identical with the techniques employed at Erligang and

Zhengzhou Zhengzhou (; ), also spelt Zheng Zhou and alternatively romanized as Chengchow, is the capital and largest city of Henan Province in the central part of the People's Republic of China. Located in north-central Henan, it is one of the Nationa ...

; however, the pottery style is different. The style of Erligang elite burials is almost an exact replica of the burials at Zhengzhou; however, later layers show that the Erligang style disappeared during the later stages of the Erligang culture. The site declined until it was abandoned altogether at the end of the Erligang culture. Panlongcheng's decline may have been affected in part by the growth of the site at Wucheng. In Hubei Province, other sites such as Jingnansi and Baimiaozhu also feature Erlitou or Late Erlitou–Early Erligang type of ceramics.Roderick Campbell (2014)
''Archaeology of the Chinese Bronze Age: From Erlitou to Anyang.''
Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Panlongcheng was succeeded by regional and localized cultures such as the Feijiahe culture.

Notes

References

* ''The Cambridge History of Ancient China : From the Origins of Civilization to 221 BC'', Edited by Michael Loewe and Edward L. Shaughnessy. * Liu, Li and Xingcan Chen, ''State Formation in Early China'', * {{Prehistoric cultures of China Archaeological sites in China Wuhan National archaeological parks of China Chinese architectural history Former populated places in China Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Hubei Shang dynasty 16th-century BC establishments in China