As in the Ancient Near East, there are isolated finds of iron artefacts that predate the Iron Age proper; in 1972, near the city of Gaocheng (藁城) in Shijiazhuang (now Hebei province), an iron-bladed bronze tomahawk (铁刃青铜钺) dating back to the 14th century BC was excavated.
Gaocheng |
The first Xia Dynasty capital Yangcheng was built west of Gaocheng Township on the Yin River under the sacred Mount Song.