First of all, the Xia Dynasty was the first dynasty in Chinese history, which is said to have been founded by the descendants of the Yellow Emperor, and was a very early dynasty in Chinese history, which existed from about the 21st century BC to the 16th century BC, that is, about 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. Due to the long period of time, and the technology and materials at that time were not as advanced as modern ones, there are relatively few archaeological remains of the Xia Dynasty.
During the Xia Dynasty, pottery, jade, and other items, although well-made, may not have been durable enough to survive for thousands of years due to the limitations of the tools and materials of the time. At the same time, many perishable or erodable items such as buildings, wood products or textiles are difficult to preserve. Factors such as changes in the natural environment, geological activities, or man-made destruction can also lead to the loss of archaeological remains. For example, the diversion of rivers, soil erosion or urban sprawl can cause certain sites to be buried or destroyed. Although the archaeological remains are limited, the history and culture of the Xia Dynasty are documented in subsequent historical documents. These documents, such as the Records of the Historians and the Book of Shang, provide us with important information and insights about the Xia Dynasty, making up for the lack of archaeological remains.
During the Xia Dynasty, the burial culture was not yet fully developed, and people may have used more natural methods to deal with the dead than to carry out complex burials. During the Xia Dynasty, tombs did not form a stable and widespread social Xi as in later times. As a result, people may be more inclined to dispose of bodies in natural ways, such as exposure to the elements, burial in simple pits, or other modest ways.
Due to the lack of burial Xi, burial sites from the Xia Dynasty period are relatively archaeologically scarce. In later times, standardized burial Xi gradually developed, and these cemeteries were easier to find in archaeological excavations, while the remains of the Xia Dynasty period were relatively difficult to find. The natural environment during the Xia Dynasty may also have had an impact on the preservation of corpses. In a humid environment, corpses are prone to decomposition, while dry or cold environments may be more conducive to the preservation of corpses. However, even if they are preserved, the absence of a standardized burial system makes it difficult for these bodies to become obvious archaeological signs.
In addition, the population at that time of the Xia Dynasty was not very large. During the Xia Dynasty, China's population was relatively small. The development of society is still in its early stages, with a low level of urbanization and a relatively low population density. During the Xia Dynasty, the land of China was very vast, and the living range of people was relatively scattered. In this context, the population is scattered over a large natural environment, which makes people's activities more dispersed and makes archaeological discoveries more difficult. During the Xia Dynasty, social institutions and cultural norms were not yet fully formed, and people's lifestyles could be relatively flexible and unpredictable. It also makes it more difficult for archaeologists to find the ruins, as people may be active in different places and ways.
To sum up, the history of the Xia Dynasty did face many challenges, making it difficult for modern people to fully understand its history and culture directly from archaeological remains. However, through historical documents, subsequent archaeological excavations, and modern scientific and technological means, we can still gradually reveal the appearance and contributions of the Xia Dynasty. It is true that the burial culture of the Xia Dynasty was relatively weak, which makes it difficult to find clear burial remains at the archaeological level. Therefore, the study of the Xia dynasty has mainly relied on documentary records and other relevant archaeological discoveries, and the contribution of tombs in this regard has been relatively limited. During the Xia Dynasty, the population was small, the area was vast, and the social system was not stable, all of which brought certain challenges to modern archaeologists in finding the remains of the Xia Dynasty. Therefore, although the Xia Dynasty is recorded in historical documents, there are relatively few archaeological discoveries, which does not mean that the Xia Dynasty did not exist, but more reflects the influence of the historical background and archaeological conditions.