▁ins cri ptions ▁mention ing ▁Q i , ▁the ▁same ▁name ▁as ▁the ▁Z hou - era ▁state ▁of ▁Q i , ▁which ▁according ▁to ▁traditional ▁accounts ▁was ▁established ▁by ▁the ▁defeated ▁royal ▁house ▁of ▁X ia . ▁ ▁Arch ae ological ▁discover ies ▁ ▁Arch ae olog ists ▁have ▁un cover ed ▁urban ▁sites , ▁bronze ▁implements , ▁and ▁tomb s ▁that ▁point ▁to ▁the ▁possible ▁existence ▁of ▁the ▁X ia ▁dynast y ▁at ▁locations ▁c ited ▁in ▁ancient ▁Chinese ▁historical ▁texts . ▁There ▁exists ▁a ▁debate ▁as ▁to ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁the ▁Er lit ou ▁culture ▁was ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁X ia ▁dynast y . ▁Rad i oc ar bon ▁d ating ▁places ▁the ▁site ▁at ▁c . ▁ 2 1 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 8 0 0 ▁BC , ▁providing ▁physical ▁evidence ▁of ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁a ▁state ▁contempor aneous ▁with ▁and ▁possibly ▁equivalent ▁to ▁the ▁X ia ▁dynast y ▁as ▁described ▁in ▁Chinese ▁historical ▁works . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁a ▁site ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Y ans hi ▁was ▁exc av ated ▁containing ▁large ▁pal aces ▁that ▁some ▁arch ae olog ists ▁have ▁attributed ▁to ▁capital ▁of ▁the ▁X ia ▁dynast y . ▁ ▁Through ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁arch ae olog ists ▁have ▁un cover ed ▁urban ▁sites , ▁bronze ▁implements , ▁and ▁tomb s ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁locations ▁c ited ▁in ▁ancient ▁Chinese ▁historical ▁texts ▁regarding ▁X ia