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SHANG DYNASTY
The Shang is considered the first true dynasty of China, contrary to
evidence that it was preceded the
Xia Dynasty. Traditional Chinese history indicates
that the Shang Dynasty consisted of 31 kings and seven different,
successive, capitals. The Zhou, the dynasty that followed the Shang, are
responsible for the recordings of the kings and capitals of the Shang
Dynasty. During an ongoing political struggle, P'an-keng, the 17th king
reestablished Yin, its capital, which remained for the duration of the
Shang Dynasty. Also known as the Yin or Yin-Shang Dynasty.
The Shang worshiped the their Kings as supreme beings, and they were looked
upon as an agent of the God. Moreover, highly ritualized ancestor
worship became a part of the Shang religion. When a king died hundreds of slaves
and prisoners were often sacrificed and buried with him.
What is marked as the beginning of the Bronze Age around 1800 B.C., the
Shang people had bronze weapons, bronze fittings for chariots, gear and
harnesses, and bronze vessels connected with worship. Eventually, Bronze
was connected with conspicuous consumption, and used as a commodity for
beginning the trade of goods. Moreover, bronze vessels, some as large as
2 feet tall and wide, were buried with its royalty. Srong evidence of
the Bronze Age achievements at the start of the Shang became more
profound in the 20th Century AD, while excavating a site at Anyang, one
of the Shang's first capitals. Large numbers of Bronze vessels and other
artifacts were uncovered from tombs, some larger than several square
street blocks. Evidence shows that each of the Bronze pieces were
individually made with the use of molds of wax casts and using various
pottery styles.
Additionally, the Shang were quite advanced in medicine, agriculture,
textile manufacturing, skilled trade in jade, stone, and ivory carvings.
Specific developments in its advancement included polished ceramics,
spoke-wheeled carriers, and the plow.
One of the most important technological developments of the Shang was
the invention of writing. Known as the The Oracle Script with over 3000
characters, was the first known written form of communication. The most
common place these writings are found is on oracle bones used for divine
purposes. The bones used for this purpose originally came from a number
of animals, but were eventually done exclusively on tortoise shells. The
diviner would pose a question was written on the polished bone, which
was then fired and a T shaped crack was produced which was interpreted,
and the interpretation was then written on the bone. After the predicted
event occurred, the date of the occurrence was also written on the bone,
becoming historical documents of that time.
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