CHINA

Royal palaces form a central part of the architectural tradition of China from the XIA dynasty to the early 20th century, as can be seen in the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace in Beijing. The earliest evidence for a palace structure is from Phases 3 and 4 at the site of erlitou in the Huang (Yellow) River Valley, dated to the first half of the second millennium b. c.e. It included an enclosed court measuring 108 by 100 meters (356 by 330 ft.); the palace itself was located facing south. The complex was raised on a stamped-earth platform. A second, slightly smaller palace was also uncovered during the excavations; a large but unfortunately looted grave lay within the enclosed precinct. The early Shang capital of Zhengzhou was a large walled city. Here again the foundations for a large columned building were found, and these are thought to be the remains of a palace that was surrounded by a moat.

Shang Palaces

Excavations at Xiaotun, the core of the Late Shang capital known as anyang, have uncovered the foundations for a large series of buildings raised on stamped-earth foundations. These cluster in three groups, known as the northern, central, and southern. The northern group, which includes the foundations for 15 buildings, is thought to be the earliest. The expansion of this royal area then saw the 21 buildings of the central group constructed, and, finally, the southern group completed the complex. The buildings of the last group were associated with many human and animal sacrificial burials. As it grew, the palace incorporated earlier royal tombs, including that of FU HAO, a principal consort to King Wu Ding. An overall interpretation of this complex leads to the conclusion that the northern group was the royal residential area, while the ancestral temples are found in the middle group. The southern buildings held ritual ceremonials.

One of the palace buildings measures 85 by 15 meters (280 by 50 ft.); another covers an area of 70 by 40 meters. They were raised above the ground on stamped-earth foundations and built on a north-south axis. Access to a broad verandah was gained by ascending broad staircases. The principal structure was a long building with a columned front, and the roof was made of thatch. The central area included many sacrificial burials, chariot burials, and subterranean pits for storing grain. Such pits were also used to house oracle-bone archives.