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Abstract: Around the globe, archaeological settlement pattern survey has brought a new spatial, diachronic, and theoretical vantage to the study of early civilizations. This paper provides a new perspective on the rise and reorganization of complex societies in northern China through the synthesis of 11 years of systematic regional survey in southeastern Shandong Province. Based on our surface findings, we suspect that the agricultural colonization of this coastal region occurred primarily during the later half of the Neolithic and was rapidly followed by the development of a four-tiered settlement hierarchy with two primary centers during the Early Longshan period. We also document the reorganization of this regional system during the Bronze Age, and the eventual political integration of this study area under polities centered to the west (and outside the region surveyed). We argue that southeastern Shandong was not merely a backwater or periphery throughout its history, particularly in regard to the Early–Middle Longshan periods when there were centers of great size. Through our long-term and broad-scale perspective, we provide new evidence of how complex societies arose and changed over millennia in northern China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Evaluation of excavation remains from the eastern seaboard (Haidai) area of China reveals considerable variation in the urbanization process for the Longshan period. • Excavated remains at Liangchengzhen, with AMS dates, provide information about the process of settlement expansion over time. • The Liangchengzhen excavations demonstrate new kinds of housing and internal settlement organization not previously recognized at Longshan sites. • The abundant remains of lithic production debris indicatefocused production in one area of the settlement over time, diversification of production, and possible market exchange. Limited comparative data from different regions has hampered understanding of variation in the development of urbanism during the late Neolithic period of China. This paper evaluates excavation remains from large, Longshan period sites regarded as cities in the Haidai or eastern seaboard area of northern China, highlighting the site of Liangchengzhen (LCZ). We identify differences in construction features, internal settlement organization, and patterns of expansion. At LCZ, moats were especially important for the organization of space. The Liangchengzhen excavations reveal residential patterns not recognized at other Longshan sites, including shared prepared surfaces between structures and construction features likely designed to enhance privacy. We describe the abundant evidence for production of ground stone tools, including assessment of the wide variety of raw materials (local, extra-local, non-local) represented among the lithic production debris and finished tools. We conclude that there was diversification and intensification of lithic production over time. We infer that a large area at Liangchengzhen was devoted to lithic production, with other economic activities focused elsewhere as the settlement expanded in size. Future research should compare the nature of lithic production and consumption at large and small sites on a regional basis to evaluate our hypothesis that incipient market exchange was a factor in the urbanization process in the LCZ area of southeastern Shandong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]