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The earliest archaeological evidence in China is of the Shang dynasty, 1766-1122 B.C.  By folklore it began when the virtuous and wise man named T'ang overthrew the decadent emperor Chieh of the Hsia dynasty.  The Shang dynasty was ultimately overthrown and replaced by the Chou dynasty.

The earliest archaeological evidence in China is of the Shang dynasty, 1766-1122 B.C.  By folklore it began when the virtuous and wise man named T'ang overthrew the decadent emperor Chieh of the Hsia dynasty.  The Shang dynasty was ultimately overthrown and replaced by the Chou dynasty.

The Shang dynasty built cities in northern China, along the eastern banks of the Yellow River.  It did not control all of the land that belongs to China today.  Sometimes called the Yellow River civilization, the Shang dynasty benefited from bronze that Mesopotamia had introduced to China around 2000 B.C.  Bronze had been invented in Mesopotamia around 3000 B.C.

The Shang dynasty built cities in northern China, along the eastern banks of the Yellow river.  It did not control all of the land that belongs to China today.  Sometimes called the Yellow River Civilization, the Shang dynasty benefited from bronze that Mesopotamia had introduced to China around 2000 B.C.  Note that Bronze had previously been invented in Mesopotamia around 3000 B.C.

The Shang dynasty had writing in the form of oracle bones: questions and answers inscribed on actual bone.  The bones were quite common and created during the pagan oracles involved in ancient Chinese religion.  For archaeologists, these bones were the first concrete evidence that the Shang dynasty really had existed.  Before that, it was widely regarded as nothing more than a myth.  But if oracle bones were so common, why didn't archaeologists find them sooner?  Oracle bones were widely sold as "dragon bones" and believed to have magical healing properties.  Thus, oracle bones were generally ground up and used as medicine.  No one realized what the bones were until a high ranking official who was sick noticed that the bone which was to be ground for his medicine was covered in strange glyphs!  His discovery proved the existence of the Shang dynasty.

The Shang dynasty had writing in the form of oracle bones: questions and answers inscribed on actual bone.  The bones were quite common and were created during the pagan oracles involved in ancient Chinese religion.  For archaeologists, these bones were the first concrete evidence that the Shang dynasty really had existed.  Before that, it was widely regarded as nothing more than a myth.  But if oracle bones were so common, why didn't archaeologists find them sooner?  Oracle bones were widely sold as "dragon bones" and believed to have magical healing properties, and the bones were generally ground up and used as medicine.  No one realized what the bones were until a high ranking official who was sick noticed that the bone which was to be ground for his medicine was covered in strange glyphs!  His discovery proved the existence of the Shang dynasty.

The Shang empire consisted of city-states, with much war between the various cities but particularly against the non-urbanized, agricultural populations in the rural areas.  The capital cities shifted as often as power changed hands.  The Shang dynasty perfected the wheel and used chariots in warfare.

The Shang empire consisted of city-states, with much war between the various cities but particularly against the non-urbanized, agricultural populations in the rural areas.  The capital cities shifted as often as power changed hands.  The Shang dynasty perfected the wheel and used chariots in warfare.