The Erlitou culture, a name given by archaeologists to an Early Bronze Age society that exists in China from 2000 BCE to 1500 BCE, is named after the site discovered at Erlitou in Yanshi, Henan Province.

Erlitou, at three kilometers in diameter the largest site associated with the culture, apparently monopolizes the production of ritual bronze vessels.

The Erlitou culture, which may have evolved from the Longshan culture, is widely spread throughout Henan and Shanxi Province, and will later appear in Shaanxi and Hubei Province.

Most Chinese archaeologists identify the Erlitou culture as the site of the Xia Dynasty, while most Western archaeologists remain unconvinced of the connection between the Erlitou culture and the Xia Dynasty since there are no extant written records linking Erlitou with the official history.