Variation in Large Sites from the Longshan Period of Northern China

Summary

Recent research does not support the common view that the numerous large sites from the Longshan period of northern China ca. 2500-1900 BC represent a homogeneous type of settlement with respect to developmental process, scale, and organization. Most publications regard these large settlements as cities and expect they share specific features indicative of organizational homogeneity. The focus has been on large Longshan and later, early Bronze Age settlements in Henan province. We discuss variation in scale and organization of large sites located in the eastern seaboard area of Shandong and northern Jiangsu provinces. On the basis of our collaborative excavation at Liangchengzhen in southeastern Shandong, we argue that a particular challenge for understanding the nature of large Longshan settlements is the need for more extensive excavations and diachronic data revealing changes in scale and organization over time.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• What to Do with "Megasites" in Prehistory? Further Exploring the "Megasite" Conundrum

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15453