Ancient site · City
Taosi
Taosi, in Xiangfen County in southern Shanxi, was the largest Longshan-period centre in the Linfen basin. In its middle phase a rammed-earth wall enclosed about 280 hectares, and an inner wall separated an elite quarter from commoners, showing a strongly ranked society.
A semicircular platform with pillars has been interpreted as an early astronomical observatory used to track sunrise for a calendar. Rich graves held painted pottery, drums and jade. Some Chinese scholars link Taosi with the legendary sage-king Yao, but no written evidence confirms this.
- Dates
- c. 2300–1900 BCE
- Still standing
- No, or only traces
- Location
- 35.89° N, 111.50° E
How we know
No writing has been read from Taosi; it is dated by radiocarbon, and claims that it was the capital of the legendary Emperor Yao are unproven.
Nearby sites
- Erlitou c. 1750–1500 BCE (older estimates from c. 1900 BCE)
- Zhengzhou Shang City c. 1600–1400 BCE
- Yinxu (Anyang) c. 1250–1046 BCE
- Peiligang c. 7000–5000 BCE (Peiligang culture)
- Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang and the Terracotta Army 246–209 BCE
- Banpo c. 4700–3600 BCE
Related
- Longshan culture archaeological culture
- The world in 3000 BCE: The First Kings chapter