The land grant recorded in Zhong Fangding 中方鼎 and its implication for the socio-economic crisis of the early Western Zhou state

Although the land crisis has been considered a potential factor in the decline and downfall of the Western Zhou dynasty, previous scholarship primarily based its argument on inscriptions from the middle and late Western Zhou periods. This paper argues that the land grant recorded in Zhong Fangding provides a glimpse into the socio-economic situation of the early Western Zhou state. By contextualizing the Zhong Fangding archaeologically, geographically, and historically, this article dates it to the 15th year of King Zhao and discusses its implication for understanding the socio-economic pressure that the Zhou court faced and its relation to King Zhao’s southern campaigns. Copyright © 2025 World Archaeological Congress.