The very thing that generates a lot of public interest in digs — tombs, up to and including the pyramids — skews how the ancient civs get viewed; for much older sites, we see what survives, mainly stone implements, relying on the rare survival of the imprint of woven items like baskets and fabrics. Even the existence of writing may be much older than generally accepted, but the materials used haven’t survived.
Agreed. But the interest in grave goods, burial practices and tombs does say a lot about social stratification. Also, I suspect the practice of writing in China predates the turtle shells of the Longshan in China. The writing on the bronze seems pretty advanced to have just popped up. I was lucky enough to see some of the earliest bronze pieces in Taipei and they are spectacular.