Outburst flood at 1920 BCE supports historicity of China’s Great Flood and the Xia dynasty
Flood control initiates Chinese civilization
Around four millennia ago, Emperor Yu the Great succeeded in controlling a huge flood in the Yellow River basin. This is considered to have led to the establishment of the Xia dynasty and the start of Chinese civilization. However, the dates of the events and the links between them have remained uncertain and controversial. Using stratigraphic data and radiocarbon dating, Wu et al. verify that the flood occurred and place the start of the Xia dynasty at about 1900 BC, thus reconciling the historical and archaeological chronologies (see the Perspective by Montgomery).
Abstract
China’s historiographical traditions tell of the successful control of a Great Flood leading to the establishment of the Xia dynasty and the beginning of civilization. However, the historicity of the flood and Xia remain controversial. Here, we reconstruct an earthquake-induced landslide dam outburst flood on the Yellow River about 1920 BCE that ranks as one of the largest freshwater floods of the Holocene and could account for the Great Flood. This would place the beginning of Xia at ~1900 BCE, several centuries later than traditionally thought. This date coincides with the major transition from the Neolithic to Bronze Age in the Yellow River valley and supports hypotheses that the primary state-level society of the Erlitou culture is an archaeological manifestation of the Xia dynasty.
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Supplementary Material
Summary
Materials and Methods
Figs. S1 to S7
Tables S1 to S5
Resources
File (wu-sm.pdf)
References and Notes
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Science
Volume 353 • Issue 6299 • 5 August 2016
Pages: 579 - 582
History
Received: 20 December 2015
Accepted: 14 June 2016
Copyright
Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.
RE:
The radiocarbon dates cited by the authors yield a calibrated age for the mega-flood which preceded the founding of the Xia Dynasty with a median of 1922 ±28 BCE (1 SD) and a 95% CL of 1976 to 1882 BCE. That being so it is more than a little surprising that they neglect to mention crucial astronomical evidence bearing on the founding of the Xia, which I have systematically presented since 1983 when I first published the connection between the the Xia founding and the densest cluster of the five visible planets in human history, that of February 1953 BCE. As early as the mid-2nd millennium BCE, texts such as the Mozi explicitly link Yu the Great's flood management exploits and the Xia founding with the astral sign. The extensive cultural ramifications of cosmology and planetary omens in early China are discussed in detail in my ASTROLOGY AND COSMOLOGY IN EARLY CHINA: CONFORMING EARTH TO HEAVEN (Cambridge UP, 2013). For the astronomical chronology of the Three Dynasties in the 2nd millennium BCE and the connection between astral omens and the ancient doctrine of the Mandate of Heaven in China, in particular, interested readers are referred to the following:
"Mozi and the Dates of Xia, Shang, and Zhou: A Research Note," Early China 9-10 (1983-85): 175-83.
"Astronomical Observations in the Three Dynasties Period and the Origin of Five Phases Correlative Theory" (in Chinese), in Yinxu bowuyuan yuankan 1.1 (1989): 183-188.
"Astrological Origins of Chinese Dynastic Ideology," Vistas in Astronomy 39 (1995): 503-516.
"The Cosmo-Political Background of Heaven's Mandate," Early China 20 (1995): 121-176.
"The Mandate of Heaven" and "China's Oldest Surviving Astronomical Observatory," Archaeology 51.2 (March/April 1998): 26-34.
David W Pankenier
August 4, 2016
Multiple evidences don't support the conjecture of China's Great Flood at 1920 BCE
Wu et al. in Science August 5, 2016, 579 argued that an earthquake in around 1920 BCE destroyed the Lajia archaeological site, and induced the formation of a huge dammed lake in the Jishixia Gorge (JSX) in the upper Yellow River valley in China, and the subsequent release of the lake provides a scientific basis for the historicity of China's Great Flood and the Xia Dynasty (1). However, these series of geological and historical events in this paper are proved to be independent, non-synchronous events by careful scrutiny of the data presented in the paper and previous studies. Chronological data obtained from the ancient dammed lake sediments in JSX demonstrate that the dam disappeared before 3600 BC (2, 3), significantly predates the F4 dwelling of the Lajia site that was deemed to have been destroyed around 1920 BCE in Wu et al (1). The charcoal ages (2900-1900 BCE) of the suggested outburst flood sediments in earthquake fissures reported by Wu et al. (1) can only indicate that paleoearthquake at the Lajia site occurred later than 1900 BCE. Moreover, human remains in house F7 next to F4 were dislocated by a ground fissure (4), further suggesting earthquake occurred later than the destruction of F4 in Lajia site. Actually, earlier research (5) has revealed that the prehistoric humans in F4 were killed as a direct result of a disastrous mudflow from the northern mountains of the Guanting Basin. These evidence doesn't support Wu et al.'s assumption that paleoearthquake destroyed the Lajia site and induced the formation of the JSX dammed lake around 1920 BCE. Therefore, the supposed implications of the flood for the historicity of China's Great Flood and the Xia Dynasty lacks scientific basis.
References and Notes:
1. Q. L. Wu et al., Outburst flood at 1920 BCE supports historicity of China,s Great Flood and the Xia dynasty. Science 6299, 579-582 (2016).
2. G. H. Dong et al., Ancient landslide-dam events in the Jishi Gorge, upper Yellow River valley, China. Quat. Res. 81, 445-451 (2014).
3. Y. Z. Zhang et al., OSL dating of the massive landslide damming event in the Jishixia Gorge, on the upper Yellow River, NE Tibetan Plateau. Holocene 25, 1-13 (2015).
4. C. X. Li, A detailed study of the conservation of the Qijia culture house remains in the Lajia site, Qinghai. Science of Conservation and Archaeology 2, 9-16 (2009).
5. C. C. Huang et al., Palaeoenvironmental implications of the prehistorical catastrophes in relation to the Lajia Ruins within the Guanting Basin along the Upper Yellow River, China. Holocene 11. 1584-1595 (2013).
The YuanNian of Shang, Xia Dynasty and Emperor Yu the Great
The elucidation of the mystery of China early civilization especially legendary Xia is the focus of many Chinese scientists and historian and recent paper about the great flood happened in ~BC1920 in Science leads to a wave of discussion1. Actually, that the author proposed the flood is related to Emperor Yu the Great is not consistent to what we have based on archaeology and ancient literature as well as the new chronology provided here2.
The accurate Chinese history started from year BC841 after the uprising of citizen in Zhou dynasty which destroyed the continuation of history record. In 1982, Dr. David Pankenier found the special celestial event, the clustering of five major planets in BC1059 and determined the date of the war on BC1046 leading to the transition from Shang dynasty to Zhou dynasty3. However, the war leading to the transition from legendary Xia to Shang is still an enigma.
Based on ancient literature, the first emperor of Shang dynasty, Cheng Tang died at his 13th reign after the war defeated last Emperor Gui(癸) of Xia Dynasty4. At that year there is special calendar event named JiazZi Shuodan Dongzhi(甲子朔旦冬至), i.e. the winter Solstice is at the same day of Shuo, first day of lunar calendar and recorded as JiaZi(甲子) in Ganzi system. There is another famous Jiazi Shuodan Dongzhi in China history on Dec. 25, BC105(actually Shuo day is GuiHai(癸亥), Dec. 24, BC105) when Emperor Han Wu announced a new calendar in the empire. Based on Yin Calendar, there is one day ahead of the Ganzi system so it is actually the day named GuiHai(癸亥)4. There are generally two times during 19 years period of one ShuodanDongzhi cycle, Shuo day and Dongzhi day either in same day or in neighboring two days. Thus the probability of GuiHai Shuodan Dongzhi(癸亥朔旦冬至) is about once in ~285 years. And we found that winter Solstice is the day RenXu(壬戌) Jan. 4, BC1649 and the Shuo day is the next day GuiHai(癸亥) Jan. 5, BC1049 (supplemental Table 1). So the YuanNian (First year) of Emperor Cheng Tang is BC1661 and the date of the famous MingTiao Battle against emperor Gui of Xia is on day YiMao(乙卯) Mar. 6(MingTiao battle), & WuZi(戊子) Apr. 8(Cheng battle), BC 1662. Cheng Tang then became the emperor on the first following GuiHai(癸亥) May 13, BC1662 (renamed as JiaZi(甲子) in Yin Calendar, so called Change Zheng(first lunar month of the year) & Shuo in dynasty transition.
We also found that there is a spectacular celestial event happened in BC1676 while the five major planets lining up in the sky and the Venus moved from bottom near Mercury, surpassing the Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and to the top of five planets in two months (supplemental Fig. 1). The event is recorded at the history book the Bamboo Annals as happened in tenth year of last emperor Gui5. And from our study it is the 17th year of emperor Gui. Of note, the Xia dynasty is represented as Jupiter De(Virtue) by ancient China political philosophy, which is superseded by Shang dynasty as the Venus De6. This special event is considered as heaven's mandate(天命) for dynasty transition and the year BC1675 is the YuanNian of Shang dynasty. The total year of Shang dynasty is 629 calendar years (BC1675~BC1046), which was written in Yin calendar without detail and nobody believes until our proof in this article4.
Based on record in Bamboo Annals, there is total 431 calendar years for Xia dynasty and the first year of Xia will be BC2093 from the war on BC1662. And we found that it is the YuanNian of Emperor Qi, Son of emperor Yu the Great. After 16 years of emperor Qi and 4 years of emperor TaiKang, ZhongKang took the throne in year BC2073. There is a famous solar eclipse in the late autumn at the YuanNian of emperor ZhongKang in China history book ShuJing but no one knows when it is7. Recently it is verified that there was an annular eclipse at 9:04am on Nov. 3, BC2073 in China central area by modern astronomic calculation2, which is exactly the YuanNian of emperor Zhongkang in accordance with the chronology we get.
So , the YuanNian of Emperor Yu the Great is BC2103, who ruled China for 8 years based on Bamboo Annals. His Son Qi became the emperor after three year funeral period (actually 25 months) in BC2093 while the supposed emperor Yi selected by Emperor Yu failed to become successor as ChanRang. For this reason, the three year funeral period should not be counted as part of Xia dynasty. In addition, Yu has been appointed as Bo of Xia in BC2142 based on Bamboo Annals under Emperor Yao & Shun and the YuanNian of emperor ShaoKang is BC1998 based on Bambo Annals, which is also in accordance with the record that there is 144 years since Yu's appointment as Bo of Xia(BC2141~BC1998)8.
The new chronology provided here is in accordance with the literature for thousands of years and supported by modern astronomy. It provides the evidence that the primary state-level society of the Erlitou culture is an archaeological manifestation of the Shang dynasty after Mingtiao Battle by Emperor ChengTang.
Acknowledgement: Author thanks MrManor (@MrManor in Weibo.com) for providing the screenshot image of Skymap software for special Venus movement in BC1676.
Reference:
1 Q. Wu et al., Science 353, 579 (2016).
2 Expert group, The report of Xia/Shang/Zhou dynasty chronology during 1996-2000. World Book Press. Beijing 2000
3 D. Pankenier, Astrology and Cosmology in Early China. Cambridge University Press 1995
4 Han Book LuLuZhi, Ban Gu.
5 Bamboo Annals
6 Lu's Spring & Autumn, Yingtong Chapter.
7 ShuJing, YinZheng Chapter
8 Spring & Autumn of Wu&Yue
RE: the YuanNian of Shang, Xia dynasty and Emperor Yu the Great
the EMail for the author Shan Ling( for the response titled "the YuanNian of Shang, Xia dynasty and Emperor Yu the Great") is [email protected], not the [email protected]. GMail does not allow email address with "_". so it is a dead email address.
I just noticed this mistake. please correct this mistake in the eLetter.