The Shang Dynasty, located in the Yellow River Valley, was considered to be a myth kingdom before archeologists found the first prove of its existence in the ancient texts of the prayer and legends written on cowry shells and indicating Shang’s most interesting facts and believes.
Oracle Shells
Apparently, the Dynasty made a lot of human sacrifices in order to please their ancestors and gods in order to get their approval for their wishes and decisions. The bronze value was high, only those of nobles or the emperor himself were able to afford this expensive luxury for weapons and especially arts. Bronze artifacts, slaves, numerous oracle shells, horses and literature were usual findings that archeologists would encounter with when going into another tomb of the royal family. Those were things that Chinese thought a person would need after life.
Chinese Bronze Wine Vess
Originally the dynasty was created upon a rebel leader who overthrew the previous Xia Dynasty. The capital was moved six times for safety reasons, when finally it settled in Yin. Their golden age began. The first emperor was Tang, the one who saved people and started Shang Dynasty. But the most famous ruler was Wu Ding who had a wife that led his army and achieved many victories being general and a very respected woman. Wu Ding protected his kingdom and conquered some land of his enemy. He respected ancestors’ traditions and set up a ceremony for the founder of Shang Dynasty. People considered him to be the best emperor of the Shang; during his young age, he used to live in the village, where he learned how people lived and that helped him to understand his own nation. The King was responsible for the people and he was considered to be the follower of the ancient traditions of the dynasty, which includes performing rituals and even making oracle shells.
Memorial to Wu Ding's Wife and General
The Shang Dynasty prospered approximately from 1500 B.C. to 1100 B.C. During 1400 B.C., in Egypt a new Pharaoh came to power, Amenhotep II. He was known for being more political with the neighboring kingdoms than the previous rulers. He distributed to the architecture and art of Egypt. His tomb was found among others where his sarcophagus was originally located.
Amenhotep II
Shang Dynasty was based on agriculture and hunting. The production of bronze vessels and weapons was important as well. The kingdom needed labor force for mining copper, tin and lead. These metals were used in the daily life, for example chariots or tables. Education was stable and the kingdom already developed writing. Astrologists were able to see Mars and comets in space and arts were performed in form of music and dance. Alcohol was also very interesting theme in the Shang Dynasty. It was said that the emperors loved to drink it so much that they would make ponds full of it.
Bronze Gong Ritual Vessel
The Kingdom was located in the North of China and fought many wars with its neighbors and nomadic tribes from the steppes. The Kings also showed some concern about barbarians outside cities that used to cause trouble. The military had weapons made of stones, as well as bronze spears and daggers. But basically, the kingdom depended on the military abilities of the nobility. Horses were used widely with three people chariots for the soldiers. Also, the Dynasty practiced ethnocentrism, meaning they considered themselves to be superior to their neighbours. This increased their patriotic feelings towards their own kind, the Middle Kingdom.
Shang Dnasty's Bronze Battle Axe
Shang Dynasty collapsed when the Zhou people rebelled and the last king who committed suicide.There is also a hint that the dynasty collapsed because of the alcohol. The Emperors drunk it from bronze vessels, which means that the metal was able to go inside their bodies. The present doctors report that this causes brain damage. As the Dynasty became weaker and the rulers drunk more, meaning less effective consultations and decisions were made, the rebels were able to commit their attack towards the King. After the crucial battle, the royal family and some of the nobility of the Shang changed their surnames to Yin and remained aristocrats during Zhou rule. They often offered their help for developing of the new Zhou Dynasty.
Present Yin, Shang Dynasty's Capital
Work cited:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_Dynasty
http://members.tripod.com/~jonbyrdjonbyrd/shang.html
http://www.chinavoc.com/history/shang.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_Ding
