Early Bronze Age society in China's Yellow River valley, widely regarded as China's first state-level civilization and the probable archaeological correlate of the Xia dynasty.
The Erlitou culture declined around 1500 BCE and was succeeded by the Erligang culture, which archaeological evidence associates with the early Shang dynasty; Phase IV of Erlitou (c. 1600–1500 BCE) overlaps with the early Erligang phase.
Foundational collection on early Chinese Bronze Age societies including the Erlitou horizon.
The current standard synthesis of early Chinese archaeology, covering Yangshao, Hongshan, Longshan, Liangzhu, and Erlitou as China moves toward state formation.