Shang Dynasty

Introduction
The Shang Dynasty was the first recorded Chinese dynasty for which there is both written and archaeological evidence.
Believed to have ruled from 1766 to 1122 BC, the Shang created one of the earliest advanced civilizations in East Asia.

Society and culture

The Shang made a number of important and lasting contributions to Chinese society. They created a highly developed
calendar system with a 360-day year with 12 months of 30 days each. It was during this period that Chinese writing
began to develop. No literature survives from the Shang Dynasty, but numerous records and ceremonial symbols as well
as family or clan names exist. Many were carved into or brushed onto bone or tortoise shells. Three kinds of characters
were used, and they represent the earliest forms of writing in China.

The Shang also excelled in bronze work. While the earliest bronzes of the Shang were primitive, they eventually grew
more advanced. Later Shang works included elegant ceremonial objects as well as a substantial range of cooking and
serving dishes and various utensils and ornaments. Pottery objects were abundant, and some of the pottery seems to have
been shaped on a potter's wheel. Pottery included dishes and bowls in a white glaze for ceremonial and ritual use, as well
as black pottery in a rich brown glaze for more everyday purposes. In addition, jade carving became quite advanced
during the Shang Dynasty. Ceremonial weapons of jade were made, as well as jade fittings for actual weapons. Jade
figurines included both human and animal shapes carved in the round in careful detail. Many of these jade objects were
found in tombs of the period.

History
The Shang Dynasty is believed to have come after the Hsia, which was the first imperial dynasty in China. However, the
Hsia, which reportedly ruled from around 2205 to 1766 BC, are mentioned only in legends and may not have existed.
According to legend, the founder of the Hsia was Yü, who was credited with draining the waters of a great flood and who
became a lord of the harvest. Tradition gives the names of the dynasty's successive rulers, ending with Chieh, who is said
to have fallen in love with a beautiful but evil woman who acted cruelly. The story says that the outraged people rose up
in rebellion. They were led by T'ang, who tradition says founded the Shang Dynasty.

The Shang empire did not cover the entire territory that now makes up China. It was centered in the North China Plain
and extended as far north as modern Shandong province and westward through present Henan province. The kings of the
Shang are believed to have occupied several capitals one after another, one of them possibly at modern Zhengzhou,
where there are rich archaeological finds. However, they eventually settled at Anyang in the 14th century BC.

The Shang met their downfall in the 11th century from the nearby Zhou. The Zhou coexisted with the Shang for many
years, living just west of Shang territory in what is now Shaanxi province. They were friendly with the Shang, but they
also fought with them at various times. Eventually, a Zhou ruler devised a plan to conquer the Shang and defeated them
in a decisive battle, probably in the mid-11th century. The Shang continued to rebel against the Zhou, but the Zhou
finally took control over all of the Shang's territory in about 1122 BC.