Bronze age continues to astound

Other breakthroughs made in Shang archaeology in the northern part of China were also announced.

The latest study shows the Zhaigou site mainly dates to the late period of the Shang Dynasty, and covers an area of 3 million square meters. With a large-scale rammed earth works construction at the center, archaeologists have found areas for different functions like handicraft workshops and tombs on 11 hills surrounding the center area.

"All of the basic elements of a central settlement have been discovered at the site," says Xu Lianggao, a researcher with the Institute of Archaeology, which is part of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "We found some tombs and large-scale structures in this area in the past, but this time the complete face of a settlement has been unveiled."

Nine high-level aristocratic tombs were found at the site, among which seven are rectangular tombs with tomb passages, which means they probably belong to leaders of various groups, says Sun Zhanwei, a researcher at the Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology.

"Tomb passages symbolize a high social status. For example, kings of the Shang Dynasty had four tomb passages. Some people inferior in rank to them, maybe members of the royal family, had two. In this hierarchy, those without a high status could not have a tomb passage," he explains.