Überblick
The project focuses on the social changes that took place from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age in North China in what are traditionally regarded as the "peripheral areas" of Chinese civilization. Particular attention will be paid to the emergence and decline of important political, economic and religious centers, the development and dynamics of site concentrations, the role of economic and natural factors and the changes in settlement structure and architecture.
The aim of this research is to determine the duration of these early centers more precisely, to identify the driving forces behind their emergence and decline and to clarify their contribution to the development of Chinese civilization.
Current archaeological findings from China show that such a center existed on the western loess plateau at the Nanzuo site between 5100 and 4700 years ago. The site has a total area of more than 600 hectares and a central core area of around 30 hectares. This consists of nine rammed earth platforms arranged in a U-shape, which are surrounded by two ditches, one of which could be measured to be 20 m wide and 10 m deep in the western area. In the center is a 0.36-hectare complex of buildings with a central hall, which is interpreted as a palace and is surrounded by a ring ditch up to 15 meters wide and 12.5 meters deep and a wall.
