Everything about Yinxu
Site of the last capital of the Shang dynasty
Yinxu is a Chinese archeological site corresponding to Yin, the final capital of the Shang dynasty. Located in present-day Anyang, Henan, Yin served as the capital during the Late Shang period which spanned the reigns of 12 Shang kings and saw the emergence of oracle bone script, the earliest known Chinese writing. Along with oracle bone script and other material evidence for the Shang's existence, the site was forgotten for millennia. Its rediscovery in 1899 resulted from an investigation into oracle bones that were discovered being sold nearby. The rediscovery of Yinxu marked the beginning of decades of intensive excavation and study. It is one of China's oldest and largest archeological sites, and was selected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2006. Yinxu is located in northern Henan, near modern Anyang and the borders Henan shares with Hebei and Shanxi. Public access to the site is permitted. Wikipedia →
🧭 Start here: a 6-step reading path
- Read the overview: YinxuA 5-minute orientation
- Skim a recent paper: Water Conservancy System and Urban Layout of Yinxu, the Capital City of Shang: A GIS ApproachInfluential work since 2022
- Pick up a classic book: Jin wen biao zhun qi ming wen zong he yan jiuThe most-reprinted book on the subject
- Read the landmark paper: Diets, social roles, and geographical origins of sacrificial victims at the royal cemetery at Yinxu, Shang China: New evidence from stable carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotope analysisCited 56 times
- Go sideways: Liu YimanA closely related topic
- Go sideways: Shang dynastyA closely related topic
📖 Definitions
No dictionary entry for this exact phrase.
🏆 Landmark papers (most cited)
Diets, social roles, and geographical origins of sacrificial victims at the royal cemetery at Yinxu, Shang China: New evidence from stable carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotope analysis
Examining social and cultural differentiation in early Bronze Age China using stable isotope analysis and mortuary patterning of human remains at Xin’anzhuang, Yinxu
New insights into the composition and microstructure of ceramic artifacts associated with the production of Chinese bronzes at Yinxu, the last capital of the Shang dynasty
Osteoarthritis, labour division, and occupational specialization of the Late Shang China - insights from Yinxu (ca. 1250 - 1046 B.C.)
A jade parrot from the tomb of Fu Hao at Yinxu and Liao sacrifices of the Shang Dynasty
Luminescence study of the initial, pre-casting firing temperatures of clay mould and core used for bronze casting at Yinxu (13c. BC∼11c. BC)
PIXE and FCA study on the provenance of proto-porcelain of Xia and Shang Dynasty unearthed from Erlitou and Yinxu sites, China
Casting Techniques of Handles on Bronze Vessels and Their Development, From the Erlitou to Yinxu Periods
🆕 Influential since 2022
Water Conservancy System and Urban Layout of Yinxu, the Capital City of Shang: A GIS Approach
Identification of a source of nephrite from late Shang Yinxu by multispectral imaging
Lead isotope ratio analysis of lead ingots and bronze wares unearthed from Yinxu
Mechanism of Yinxu Weitong Capsule in the treatment of precancerous lesions of gastric cancer based on network pharmacology and experimental validation
Examining the Impact of the Design of Cultural Products of the Yinxu in Anyang, China on Consumer Purchase Intention Based on the Theory of Perceived Value
📚 Books worth reading
- 📕Jin wen biao zhun qi ming wen zong he yan jiuZhengbo Ye · 2010
Ranked by number of editions on Open Library, a rough measure of how lasting a book is.
🔗 Related topics
- Liu Yiman Liu Yiman (Chinese: 刘一曼; born 1940) is a Chinese archaeologist and scholar of oracle-bone inscriptions (jiǎgǔwén 甲骨文) who long worked on the excavations…
- Shang dynasty The Shang dynasty (Chinese: 商朝; pinyin: Shāngcháo), also known as the Yin dynasty (殷代; Yīn dài), was a Chinese royal dynasty that ruled in the Yellow River…
- Oracle bone Oracle bones are pieces of ox scapula and turtle plastron which were used in pyromancy – a form of divination – during the Late Shang period (c. 1250 –…
- Zheng Zhenxiang Zheng Zhenxiang (Chinese: 郑振香; 1929 – 14 March 2024) was a Chinese archaeologist most famous for excavating the Bronze Age tomb of Fuhao at Anyang in 1976…
- Di Yi Di Yi (Chinese: 帝乙), personal name Zi Xian (Chinese: 子羨), was a king of the Shang dynasty from 1101 BC to 1076 BC. His capital was at Yin in modern-day…
- Late Shang The Late Shang, also known as the Anyang period, is the earliest known literate civilization in China, spanning the reigns of the last nine kings of the…
- Shang archaeology Shang archaeology is concerned with the archaeological evidence for the Chinese Shang dynasty. Choice of excavation sites and interpretation of finds have…
- Oracle bone script The oracle bone script is the oldest attested form of written Chinese, dating to the late 2nd millennium BC. Inscriptions were made by carving characters…