China's Top 10 New Archaeological Discoveries of 2022①|Multi-grid layout of the Erlitou site in Yanshi district of Luoyang city

Editor's note: China's Top 10 New Archaeological Discoveries of 2022 was unveiled on March 28 in Beijing, including 3 from Central China's Henan province, namely the multi-grid layout of the Erlitou site, the royal mausoleums and their surrounding remains discovered at the Yin Ruins, and the ruins of Zhouqiao Bridge along the Bianhe River. So far, Henan has 53 archaeological items listed on the nation's annual list of the Top 10 New Archaeological Discoveries, ranking 1st in China.

编者按：2022年度全国十大考古新发现 3月28日在京公布，河南偃师二里头都邑多网格式布局、河南安阳殷墟商王陵及周边遗存、河南开封州桥及附近汴河遗址榜上有名。至此，河南入选全国十大考古新发现的项目达53项，继续领跑全国。

China's Top 10 New Archaeological Discoveries of 2022 Episode I

Multi-grid layout of the Erlitou site in Yanshi district of Luoyang city

2022年度全国十大考古新发现①|河南偃师二里头都邑多网格式布局

Click on the video above

The Erlitou site lies in the north of the ancient Yiluo River in the middle of Luoyang basin. Located in present-day Yanshi district of Luoyang city, Central China's Henan province, the site covers an area of 3 million square meters and dates back to 1750-1530 BC. By years of excavations by the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a "井"-shaped road network in the center of the site has been discovered, which divides the ancient capital of Erlitou into many square and regular grids, with the palace area located at the center of the multi-grid layout. Besides, wall remains discovered outside of the palace and workshop areas are suggested that the areas of noble residence and cemetery in other grids might be protected by walls as well. Therefore, archaeological excavation has been carried out in the southwest of the "井"-shaped road network since 2021, discovering many roads and rammed-earth walls. The main discoveries are as follows:

二里头遗址位于洛阳市偃师区，地处洛阳盆地中部、古伊洛河北岸台地上，遗址现存面积300万平方米，绝对年代在公元前1750年至公元前1530年。经多年的考古工作，中国社会科学院考古研究所在二里头遗址中心区发现了“井”字形城市主干道路网络，初步显示了二里头遗址宫殿区居中的“九宫格”式布局框架，并据宫殿区、作坊区外围存在墙垣的情况，推测其他网格的各贵族居住和墓葬区外围也应有墙垣围护。因此，自2021年起，中国社会科学院考古研究所开始对“井”字形道路西南路口进行考古发掘，陆续发现了多处城市道路和道路两侧夯土墙，取得了以下重要收获。

Illustration of the Erlitou site. [Photo provided to dahe.cn]

New roads, rammed-earth walls discovered

新主干道及两侧墙垣的发现

 

In the progress of the excavation, not only the southwest junction of the "井"-shaped road network outside the palace area was found, but also the two east-west main roads located to the north and the south of the palace area respectively with their length already exceeding that of the palace area. It suggested the existence of at least one sub-area to the east and the west of the workshop area, the palace area and the sacrificial area at that time. Besides, rammed-earth walls have been discovered in the east and the west of the sacrificial area as well as in the south and the east of the sub-area located to the west of the sacrificial area. Wall remains have also been discovered in the north, the east and the south of the sub-area located to the west of the palace area, in the site's southeast corner, and in the north and the east of the sub-area located to the west of the workshop area. Due to the wars of the Northern Han Dynasty (25-220) and the later dynasties, walls at the palace area's southwest corner and the northeast corner of the sub-area located to the workshop area were destroyed.

在“井”字形道路西南路口的发掘中，不仅发现了宫殿区外围“井”字形主干道路的西南路口，还发现宫殿区南、北两侧的东西向道路在超过宫城区范围后仍向东西两侧延伸，据此推测作坊区、宫殿区、祭祀区东西两侧至少各存在一个分区。此外，还找到了祭祀区东侧、西侧的夯土墙，祭祀区以西区域南侧、东侧的夯土墙，宫城以西区域北侧、东侧和南侧的墙垣，以及东南拐角、作坊区以西的区域北侧、东侧的墙垣，唯宫城西南角和作坊区以西区域围墙的东北角被东汉及以后的活动破坏而无存。

 

Part of the wall and road remains. [Photo provided to dahe.cn]

Integration of residences and tombs, handicraft workshop remains newly discovered

居葬合一的布局形态及手工业遗存新发现　

 

To the west of the sacrificial area discovered the rammed-earth buildings for the nobles, as well as many tombs where bronze wares and jade articles were unearthed. There are several other irregular burials discovered nearby, and their owners are not among the lowest class. These discoveries were rarely seen in the past. Besides, the excavation also found a number of handicraft workshop remains, all found for the first time, including the remains of suspected lacquer ware workshops (in the west of the northern part of the site), pottery workshops (about 300 meters west of the sacrificial area, and in the west of the northern part of the site) and bone and horn processing workshops (southwest corner of the palace area).

在“井”字形道路划分的祭祀区以西网格中，发现贵族居住的夯土建筑和出土有铜器、玉器的墓葬，附近还有多座非正常墓葬，且其墓主并非身份最低人群，均为以往较少发现。此外，本次发掘还发现了多处性质不同的手工业作坊遗存，均为二里头遗址首次发现，包括疑似制漆作坊（都邑北缘西部发掘区）、较丰富的制陶遗存（祭祀区以西约300米处、遗址北缘西部）和骨器、角器加工作坊（宫城西南角）。

编译：赵汉青 杨佳欣

海报：胡翰泽

视频：何蒙贺

审校：焦丹

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