The Xiaotun Palace and Ancestral Temple Area at Anyang,shortened as the"Gongmiao area"in this article,along with the Houjiazhuang Royal Cemetery,constitute the two pivotal components within Yinxu.Over the course of more than two decades of systematic archaeological exploration and excavation,significant breakthroughs have been achieved.Within the Gongmiao area,the discovery of the lake remains,previously unexplored sections on the South Island and the North Island,the rammed earth wall on the northern side of the Group A foundation site,and a portion of the"Huang Group inscriptions,"as well as numerous unexcavated rammed earth building foundations,has provided fresh insights into the extent and arrangement of the Xiaotun Gongmiao area.This,in turn,enhances our understanding of its relationship with the royal cemetery.
YinxuPalace and Temple Area at Xiaotunlayout research