Discovered in 1954, Panlongcheng is a city-site that dates from the early Shang Dynasty. Located on the bank of Panlong Lake in Huangpi District, Wuhan, Hubei, it measures about 290 meters long from north to south and 260 meters wide from east to west, covering an area of 75,400 square meters. It was built in approximately the 15th century BC, and declined in the late Shang Dynasty.
Foundations of three south-facing palaces standing in parallel rows have been discovered in the northeastern heights of the city. Foundations 1 and 2 have been excavated. Beyond the city there are sites of residential quarters, handicraft quarters, and a cemetery, such as Wangjiazui in the south, Yangjiawan in the north, Louziwan in the West, and Lijiazui in the east.
The city conforms to the top-layer culture (circa 1500 BC) of the Shang site of Erligang in terms in architectural technology, bronze-making techniques, burial customs, styles of jade-wares, and features of pottery. It might be a state built by Shang people in the middle reaches of the Yangtze for exploiting resources in the south. Its discovery confirmed for the first time that the Shang culture of the Central Plains had reached the valley of the Yangtze River in the early Shang Dynasty.
1.青铜钺
Bronze battle-ax (yue), unearthed from Tomb 2 at Lijiazui
Length: 41.4 cm, width of blade: 26.7 cm
Yue, or battle-ax, an ancient long-handled weapon for copping or an instrument of execution, was symbolic of noble authority. This bronze battle-ax from Panlongcheng is the largest of its kind dating from the early Shang Dynasty. Its discovery helps to find out the social status of the occupant of the tomb and to confirm the function of the city as a military stronghold.
2. Jade handle-like articles
The use of jade handle-like articles, which could be traced back to the Neolithic Age, can only be speculated to be ceremonial. Such articles account for over 40% of all jade objects unearthed at Panlongcheng, surpassing any other types in number. Most of them are made of tremolite.
3. Bronze ritual vessel combination of jue, jia and gu
In nobles’ tombs at Panlongcheng, gu, jue and jia were often unearthed together. Bronze jue and gu are drinking vessels, roughly equivalent to wine cups used later. Bronze jia is a wine container.
4. Bronze you, unearthed from Tomb 1 at Lijiazui
Total height: 31 cm, mouth diameter: 7.2 cm, bottom diameter: 12.5 cm
You, a sacrificial vessel for holding wine, was an important wine container in the Shang and Western Zhou Dynasties. It was widely used in the Shang and Western Zhou Dynasties. This bronze you from Panlongcheng is the oldest of its kind dating from the Shang Dynasty.
5. Bronze gui from Lijiazui
Height: 17.4 cm, mouth diameter: 22 cm
The bronze gui first appeared in the early Shang Dynasty, and was gradually outdated in the mid Warring States Period. This one represents the earliest of Shang bronze gui in shape.
6．Bronze horse mask gathered at Panlongcheng
Length: 18.5 cm, width: 13.5 cm
The mask was an important tool for communion between man and deities in ancient times. Bronze masks had already begun to be widely used in the Shang Dynasty. Horse masks like this one had never been discovered before.
7. PLCH出土 Pottery crucible, unearthed at PLCH
The crucible was a container for smelting bronze. The majority of the bronze-smelting remains discovered at Yangjiazui and Yangjiawan are pottery crucibles. That indicates that bronze wares found in Panlongcheng might have been made in the local area.
8. Bronze drinking vessel (zun), unearthed from Tomb 7 at Yangjiawan
Height: 25 cm, mouth diameter: 20.8 cm
This drinking vessel (zun) dates from the late period of Panlongcheng. It is decorated with string designs in relief, motifs of one-legged monsters, stringed pearls and beast-mask motifs, which are more elaborate than those on similar vessels dating from an earlier period. The designs are among the best of all decorations on early Shang bronze zun.
9. Jade falcon-shaped ornament, unearthed from Tomb 3 at Lijiazui
Length: 8.8 cm, diameter: 1.4 cm
This object has a falcon’s beak, a pair of wings with symmetrical rolling-cloud designs, drooping short tails, and bent legs in a couching posture
10．Large jade dagger-ax, unearthed from Tomb 3 at Lijiazui
This jade dagger-ax, measuring 94 cm in length and 11 cm in width, is the largest of its kind dating from the Shang Dynasty known so far, called the ‘King of Jade Dagger-axes’. It is a national treasure in this museum’s collection.
