▁earlier ▁history ... ▁early ▁Chinese ▁history ▁is ▁a ▁tale ▁told ▁and ▁ret old ▁for ▁gener ations , ▁during ▁which ▁new ▁elements ▁were ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁front ▁end ". ▁ ▁Some ▁histor ians ▁have ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁Z hou ▁r ul ers ▁invent ed ▁the ▁X ia ▁as ▁a ▁pre text , ▁to ▁justify ▁their ▁con quest ▁of ▁the ▁Shang , ▁by ▁not ing ▁that ▁just ▁as ▁the ▁Shang ▁had ▁supp l anted ▁the ▁X ia , ▁they ▁had ▁supp l anted ▁the ▁Shang . ▁The ▁existence ▁of ▁the ▁X ia ▁remains ▁un pro ven , ▁despite ▁efforts ▁by ▁Chinese ▁arch ae olog ists ▁to ▁link ▁them ▁with ▁the ▁Bron ze ▁Age ▁Er lit ou ▁culture . ▁ ▁Among ▁other ▁points , ▁Gu ▁and ▁other ▁histor ians ▁note ▁certain ▁par alle ls ▁between ▁the ▁traditional ▁narr ative ▁of ▁X ia ▁history ▁and ▁Shang ▁history ▁that ▁would ▁suggest ▁probable ▁Z hou - era ▁fabric ation ▁or ▁at ▁least ▁emb ell ishment ▁of ▁X ia ▁history . ▁Y un ▁K uen ▁Lee ' s ▁criticism ▁of ▁national ist ▁sentiment ▁in ▁developing ▁an ▁explanation ▁of ▁Three ▁D ynast ies ▁chron ology ▁focus es ▁on ▁the ▁dich ot omy ▁of ▁evidence ▁provided ▁by ▁arch ae ological ▁versus ▁historical ▁research , ▁in ▁particular , ▁the ▁claim ▁that ▁the ▁arch ae ological ▁Er lit ou ▁culture ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁historical ▁X ia ▁dynast y . ▁" How ▁to ▁f use ▁the ▁arch ae ological ▁dates ▁with ▁historical ▁dates ▁is ▁a ▁challenge ▁to ▁all ▁chron ological ▁studies ▁of ▁early ▁civil ization