kymnjoro
Elder Lister
Seen from above in modern-day China, the ruins of Shimao—once one of the largest Bronze Age cities in East Asia—still etch their ancient geometry into the landscape. Dating back to around 2000 BCE, the lower image reconstructs what this city may have looked like: a concentric marvel of rings, roads, and radiating order, fortified by walls and encircled by a river.
Built with stone ramparts and laid out with urban sophistication far ahead of its time, Shimao was a center of ritual, trade, and power. Jade objects, human sacrifices, and towering structures hint at a civilization both complex and enigmatic.
What vision compelled its people to shape their city like a cosmic wheel? And when the walls crumbled, did the memory vanish—or simply sink into the soil beneath their feet?
Built with stone ramparts and laid out with urban sophistication far ahead of its time, Shimao was a center of ritual, trade, and power. Jade objects, human sacrifices, and towering structures hint at a civilization both complex and enigmatic.
What vision compelled its people to shape their city like a cosmic wheel? And when the walls crumbled, did the memory vanish—or simply sink into the soil beneath their feet?