Yinxu (Anyang) - Ruins of Yin
Shang·Shang (Late)·🇨🇳 Henan Province, China
About
About Yinxu (Anyang) - Ruins of Yin
Yinxu (Anyang) - Ruins of Yin in Henan Province, China is a Shang ancient city attributed to Shang (Late) culture. Inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site (ID 1114). Settlement complex with stratified occupation, demonstrating urban planning and craft production.
Why it mattersRepresentative Shang (Late) site contributing to understanding of ancient-city distribution.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Function and sequencing of Yinxu within regional landscape
- 02Chronometric precision and construction organization without modern tools
Theories
- 01Regional ceremonial centre for Shang (Late) communities
- 02Territorial marker and ancestral burial focus
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 1300–1046 BCE (oracle bone period)
- Period
- Shang
- Culture
- Shang (Late)
- Purpose
- Last Shang capital: 24 km², 13 royal tombs, oracle bone 150,000 inscriptions (earliest Chinese writing), Fu Hao intact tomb with 1.6 t bronzes
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 1300–1046 BCE (oracle bone period)
Initial construction
c. 1030 CE
Major expansion
On the ground
Structures & features
36.1260° N · 114.3150° E · 80 m · 1 mapped feature
Yinxu (Anyang) - Ruins of Yin — Main Feature
structurePrimary structure / enclosure at Yinxu (Anyang) - Ruins of Yin
36.1270° N · 114.3160° E