Qishan

A site in Shaanxi province, China, where the Zhou people established their dynasty and capital before they overthrew the Shang dynasty in 1027 BC. A large palace complex included inscribed oracle bones antedating the founding of the dynasty. The tiled roofs of the buildings are the earliest known (11th century BC) of this standard feature of later Chinese architecture. There are also hangtu foundation platforms for palace buildings. Many bronze ritual vessels have been found in the Qishan area, mostly Western Zhou in date.

[Ch’i-shan], A district in Shaanxi province, China, just west of Fufeng. The Zhou people are said to have settled at Qishan several generations before they overthrew the Shang dynasty, and Qishan remained a major centre after the founding of the Zhou dynasty. A large palace complex discovered in 1977 at Qishan Fengchucun was shown by deposits of inscribed oracle bones to antedate the founding of the dynasty. The tiled roofs of the Fengchucun buildings are the earliest known instance (11th century bc) of this standard feature of later Chinese architecture. Many bronze ritual vessels have been found in the Qishan area, most of them Western Zhou but some predynastic (i.e. Shang) in date including a few likely to be as early as the Erligang phase. See also Fufeng, Zhou capitals.