Quantifying the Trajectory of Social Complexity at the Xia–Shang Transition: A Quantitative Archaeological Study of the Erlitou and Yinxu Sites

Abstract

This paper applies quantitative archaeological methods to the systematic analysis of ceramic assemblages, jade distributions, spatial layouts, and handicraft production at the Erlitou and Yinxu sites, with the aim of tracing the trajectory of social complexity across the Xia–Shang transition. The results indicate that, from the late Xia to the late Shang, rank differentiation was progressively reinforced through the institutionalization of ritual-vessel assemblages, while spatial control evolved from physical segregation to functional zoning, and handicraft production became increasingly specialized and concentrated. Changes in these quantitative indicators reveal a transformation in the exercise of early state power — from sacral monopoly toward institutionalized stratification — and provide an empirical basis for understanding the internal dynamics of early Chinese civilization.