Beneath the surface is Panlongcheng, an urban settlement built during the Shang dynasty (c.1600–1046 BC). Discovered in the 1950s near present-day Wuhan, far from the Shang heartland, the site provided the first clear evidence that Shang political power and bronze culture extended south of the Yangtze River.
søndag 18. januar 2026
In Wuhan, A Race to Study a 3,500-Year-Old City Between Seasons
For a few cold, dry months each winter at Panlongcheng, conditions briefly align for archaeologists to work on a 3,500-year-old city. That brief reprieve leaves no margin for delay. Archaeologists rush to open trenches, record fragile layers, and gather samples, knowing that spring rain and rising moisture will soon compromise both access and preservation.
Beneath the surface is Panlongcheng, an urban settlement built during the Shang dynasty (c.1600–1046 BC). Discovered in the 1950s near present-day Wuhan, far from the Shang heartland, the site provided the first clear evidence that Shang political power and bronze culture extended south of the Yangtze River.
Beneath the surface is Panlongcheng, an urban settlement built during the Shang dynasty (c.1600–1046 BC). Discovered in the 1950s near present-day Wuhan, far from the Shang heartland, the site provided the first clear evidence that Shang political power and bronze culture extended south of the Yangtze River.
