Site of the city of the early Shang Dynasty (17th century-11th century BC)
Location: Huangpi County, Hubei Province
Period: Around 15th century BC
Excavated in 1974

Significance: The find has clarified the circulation and distribution of the Shang Culture in the Yangtze River valley.

Round bronze ding (a three-legged or four-legged cauldron) with animal mask: cooking vessel or ritual vessel (right, height 48 cm); Bronze yue (battle axe): weapon (in the background, length 41 cm)

Introduction

Panlongcheng Site is the city ruins of the middle Shang Dynasty. The site, located near the confluence of the Yangtze and Hanshui rivers in central Hubei Province, consists of five graves and two storage pits that were first excavated in 1963 and a town wall and palace foundations that were uncovered in 1974.

Panlongcheng Site was an ancient walled-town of Hangtu construction, covering an area of 75,400 square meters. It was 290 meters long from south to north, and 260 meters wide from east to south. The site is divided into four parts -- the palace, residential area, graveyard and workshop district. By far, hundreds of cultural relics as bronze ware, pottery and jade have been unearthed in the site.