Shang Dynasty
Contents
Shang Dynasty
The Shang Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty in the 2nd Millenia BCE, preceding the Zhou dynasty. It is located near the arable land created by the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. It was the first historical dynasty in China, and historians know about the Shang Dynasty through their relics such as the oracle bones uesd by the Shang Dynasty for divination.
Capital
The last capital of the Shang dynasty is located near Anyang, and royal tombs and oracle bones are located there. Chariots are also located in the royal tombs there.
Writing
The Shang Dynasty was the first dynasty with writing, and they wrote on oracle bones to consult with their ancestors.
Diviners
As the bond between ancestors and the royals, diviners were important because they were the only people that could read the cracks of the heated oracle bones. This was important because they essentially acted as advisors to the king because the oracle bones could advise the king with many ambiguous questions, such as when to plant the rice crops and whether the nation should go to war.
Sacrifices
The Shang Dynasty sacrificed cattle in their royal tombs, and also when the woman warrior Fu Hao died her troops that she commanded were buried with her.
Borders
Below is link to an approximation of the Shang Dynasty's borders.
(See Bibliography for source)
Warfare
The Shang made chariots of wood, they somehow managed to do this without nails.
Most of their weapons were made of bronze, the highest valued metal in their civilization.
Fall
The Shang Dynasty's last king was bad, and lost the Mandate of Heaven, creating turmoil within the Shang Dynasty. The end of the Shang dynasty was around 100 BC
Other Reasons
-The lead in the bronzes that the royal people used poisoned the users of the bronzes by brain damage. -Alcohol poisoning hurt the royal members of the Shang Dynasty because they did not know about the dangers that alcohol possessed. -They were defeated in battle by the Zhou dynasty.
Bibliography:
Beniretto Class Notes.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/538446/Shang-dynasty : Shang Dynasty Overview, by Encyclopedia Britannica. The Borders Picture from Wikimedia and Gurdjeff and Lamassu Design.
Eric Gao.
Beniretto Class Notes [[1]]
Prentiss Havens
