Xu Hong — one of the leading Chinese archaeologists and author of several monographs dedicated to various issues of Ancient China. This work presents an archaeological description of the development processes of late Neolithic (Chalcolithic) societies in the Central China Plain on the eve of the region's entry into the Bronze Age and the formation of the earliest state here, which, in the author's opinion, is Chinese in spirit, Erlitou (c. 1900 – 1500 B.C.).
Reflecting on the origins of ancient Chinese civilization, Xu Hong relies solely on archaeological data, avoiding speculations based on interpretations of information from traditional historiography. Special emphasis is placed on the analysis of artifacts that had ritual significance and use, which became one of the elements of ancient Chinese «establishments of ritual propriety and music» — the main distinguishing feature of Ancient Chinese civilization.
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