<P> Bronze metallurgy in China originated in what is referred to as the Erlitou ( Wade -- Giles : Erh - li - t'ou ) period , which some historians argue places it within the range of dates controlled by the Shang dynasty . Others believe the Erlitou sites belong to the preceding Xia ( Wade -- Giles : Hsia ) dynasty . The U.S. National Gallery of Art defines the Chinese Bronze Age as the `` period between about 2000 BC and 771 BC , '' a period that begins with the Erlitou culture and ends abruptly with the disintegration of Western Zhou rule . </P>
<P> Bronze metallurgy in China originated in what is referred to as the Erlitou ( Wade -- Giles : Erh - li - t'ou ) period , which some historians argue places it within the range of dates controlled by the Shang dynasty . Others believe the Erlitou sites belong to the preceding Xia ( Wade -- Giles : Hsia ) dynasty . The U.S. National Gallery of Art defines the Chinese Bronze Age as the `` period between about 2000 BC and 771 BC , '' a period that begins with the Erlitou culture and ends abruptly with the disintegration of Western Zhou rule . </P>
when did the bronze age start in china
when did the bronze age start in china
about 2000 BC
about 2000 BC