The uses of the past: historians and archeologists dig up evidence to support China's growing nationalism.

Historians and archeologists dig up evidence to support China's growing nationalism

EACH SPRING, Archeologist Zheng Guang selects a wheat field near Erlitou and digs toward the origin of Chinese civilization. Since the 1960s he has unearthed an imposing imperial palace, extravagant tombs laden with pottery and ornamental jade, clay irrigation pipes and the oldest ritual bronze vessels yet discovered in China, all just meters below this farming village in central Henan province. The relics, most experts concur, establish the site as the last capital of China's oldest…