AN-YANG

city in Honan Province, northeastern China, on the An-yang Ho (An-yang River), a tributary of the Wei Ho. It was important in history as the site of the ancient city of Yin, the capital of the Shang dynasty from 1384 to 1111 BC; the Shang palace stood about 10 mi (16 km) west of the present city. An-yang declined when the succeeding Chou capital arose at Lo-yang. Modern excavations have revealed historical remains of the Shang, fully illustrating the splendour and advanced stage of a civilization that developed more than half a millennium before the beginning of authentic Chinese history in 776 BC. This discovery has provided the most authentic evidence to date of the ancient civilization of China. The site of the Shang capital at An-yang had been known to scholars since the beginning of the 20th century through the accidental discovery of inscribed oracle bones, the earliest Chinese written records. It was not until 1928, however, that the first organized scientific expedition started systematic excavation of these remains under the auspices of Academia Sinica, organized by the Nationalist government of the Republic of China. Field work was carried out by the archaeologist Li Chi from 1928 until the Japanese invasion in 1937. The finds include building foundations, bronzes, chariots, pottery, stone and jade, and thousands of oracle bones. Several other excavations were conducted after 1950. An-yang has been a regional agricultural and trade centre for centuries. In modern times, it became a station on the main northsouth rail line from Peking to Wu-han. Coal mining is important. An-yang's textile mills and food-processing plants have been supplemented by heavier manufactures since the Communists came to power in 1949. Pop. (1970 est.) 100,000300,000.