This book offers an archaeological study on China's ancient capitals. Using abundant illustrations of ancient capital sites, it verifies the archaeological discoveries with documentary records. The author introduces the dynamical interpretation of each ancient capital to the interpretation of the entire development history of China's ancient capitals. The book points out that for most of the almost 2000 years from the earliest Erlitou ( )to the Ye city ( ), there was an era where ancient capitals didn't have outer enclosures due to factors such as the strong national power, the military and diplomatic advantage, the complexity of the residents, and the natural conditions. Thus an era of "the huge ancient capitals without guards" lasting for over 1000 years formed. The concept that "China's ancient capitals don't have outer enclosures" presented in the book questions the traditional view that "every settlement has walled enclosures". Combining science with theory, it offers researchers of history a clear understanding of the development process of China's ancient capitals.

Autorentext
**Prof. Hong ****Xu **is the researcher of archaeological institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He is the director of Xiashangzhou Research Laboratory of the archaeological institute in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the team leader of the archaeological team in Erlitou site. During his Ph.D phase, His Ph.D supervisor is the famous Chinese archaeologist Mr.Xu Pingfang, and he has visited many countries and regions to learn. As a researcher, His main research direction includes the archaeology of Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasty, the archaeology of Ancient City in China, and he concerns about the formation of Chinese civilization and early country on archaeological studies.His most important work are An Archaeological Study of the Cities in the Pre - Qin Period, The Earliest China, Dynamic Interpretation of Early Cities in Ancient China, and so on.

Inhalt
IntroductionIs there no capital city without a city wall?The different designations and meanings of the term cityThe city and the city siteThe city and the capital cityThe city and the outer cityThe palace city and the imperial cityHow did everyone sayYu Weichao: the Eastern Zhou and the two Han dynasties as one big stage          Xu Pingfang: the epochal change brought by the capitals from the Qin and Han dynastiesYang Kuan: the two Han dynasty capitals without outer cityLiu Qingzhu: The form of the Qin and Han dynasty capitals and the time lag-theoryAbout the shape of the outer cityFrom the literature perspective: large city without a city wall
I. The time after the Wei and Jin dynasties City wall and grid-patternThe Wei-Jin period to the Sui and Tang dynastiesSong, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties
II. The capital cities of the Qin and Han dynasties and their environs The domineering empires Chang'an in the Western Han dynasty: the distinction between inner and outer cityInner or outer cityThere is no enclosed area outside of the inner cityOrientation and axisTracing the origin of design ideasThe Qin dynasty capital Xianyang: with or without city wallThe Eastern Han dynasty city of Luoyang: the last capital without fortification
III. Times of Unrest The city of the Eastern Zhou dynastyThe Inner and outer city of the Spring and Autumn periodQufu Capital of the Lu StateLinzi Capital of the Qi StateXinzheng Capital of the Zheng StateThe Inner and outer city standing side by side in the Warring States periodLinze Capital of the Qi StateHandan Capital of the Zhao StateQufu Capital of the Lu StateXinzheng Capital of the Han StateThe lower capital of the state of YanEastern Zhou dynasty Wangcheng and ChengzhouJi'nan Capital of the Chu StateThe Qin state capital city Yong
IV. Three Generations of CapitalsThe remains of unfortified cities from the Spring and Autumn periodEastern Zhou dynasty capital WangchengXintian Capital of the Jin stateJi'nan Capital of the Chu StateYong Capital of the Qin StateWestern Zhou Dynasty: Within the borders of the four foreign peoplesZhouyuanFenghaoLuoyiQufu and LinziYinxu: the era of cities without walls        Huanbei City (square moat (fang hao))Huannan DayiErligang: Two Hundred Years of Royal Inner and Outer CityZhengzhou CityXiaoshuangqiaoYanshi cityCapital cities in the peripheryErlitou: The beginning of unfortified citiesErlitouFrom a city wall to ring moatConclusion: The Great Central Axis

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