We now have been surveying for just over a week and have found dozens of Longshan, Zhou, and Han period sites, including a few that are several hectares (10,000 square meters) or larger. We have mostly been walking in alluvial fields of harvested rice and winter wheat not too far from Yao Wang Cheng, a large (3 square kilometer) Longshan site that we mapped in 2003. However, we also have been traversing some low ridges and hills that feature terraced slopes planted in tea.

Before proceeding much farther, it might be helpful to address some questions that I often am asked regarding this research. I apologize if this information is largely familiar to those of you who have followed these emails before. Nevertheless I thought that it would be helpful to synthesize some of these issues again.

You may question why we look for sites across this landscape? In part it is to find sites to excavate and hopefully protect from the rapid development in this fast growing coastal region. But far more importantly, we aim to define the regional pattern of settlement (and how it changed over time) in this area during the emergence of early civilization. Archaeologists who throughout their history have tended to focus on small segments of single sites have no other means than systematic survey to gauge past shifts in the sizes and distributions of human populations over the course of time (for which we have no written records or census data). Such regional archaeological findings are critical for assessing both the possible root causes of why specific civilizations rose, fell, and underwent dramatic episodes of transition, but also for understanding such issues as how large were certain polities in the past.

Likewise, you may wonder how we can possibly find sites that range from 5000-2000 years old on the present landscape. This is question that many of our colleagues had doubts about when we began this investigation. However, Linda and my experience conducting regional surveys in southern Mexico gave us hope that these field procedures would work. Our observation of well more than 1000 sites over ten years is clear indication that this methodology is working. Like many sedentary peoples, the ancient occupants of this region created lots of trash (mostly broken ceramic containers). And pieces of these fired clay vessels can be found today on the ground where past communities once sat. These pieces of ancient pottery reach the current ground surface through farming (plowing and terracing), the construction of wells, building foundations, and other features, water action, such as erosion and down-cutting, and through many other means.

Another often asked query is how do we actually implement the field research. The carrying out of the study begins with topographic maps that Linda carries with her on a plywood board each day in the field. Linda uses the map to see where we are, and to situate sites when we find surface artifacts. We cover ground and locate sites by walking field transects (six across) with Linda always taking a central position in our line-up. As we walk over ground, it is marked off on the map until each map is covered. Although all the coverage is on foot, we are driven into our position by our driver, Mr. Liu, who has a cab shaped-like a bread loaf (similar in form to the old Volkswagen vans) that can fit our field crew of six.

Why do we survey in the late fall or even winter when it is cold. The most direct answer is that that is the time when fewest crops are in the fields, so we have the best visibility of the ground surface. Only winter wheat, cabbage, and tea remain in the fields.

You may be curious about how we handle meals when surveying each day. Generally, we select from a breakfast buffet at the hotel in the morning before we drive out to the area where we are surveying. Around noon, we then stop for lunch and drive to a restaurant in the closest large town for a large lunch. My two favorite lunch-time staples are roasted peanuts and a local bread, called Da Bing (or 'big round thing') Dinner is usually taken at one of a few places close to our hotel.

Even with these three square meals, some of the crew also do enjoy snacking on chocolate. Their favorite is a chocolate candy with nuts called 'choubaguai' that is kind of lumpy looking.' Let's break that down for the word of the day. 'Chou' means "ugly," while 'ba' is the number "eight." "Guai is the word for "unusual." So, altogether the literal meaning is 'ugly eight unusual,' which means "really ugly." Now, how is that for branding!