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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 what is China today.  Sometimes called the Yellow River civilization, the Shang dynasty benefited from bronze that had been introduced to China around 2000 B.C. from Mesopotamia.  (It 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.  Bronze had 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 empire consisted of city-states, with much war between the various cities but particularly against the non-urbanized populations in the rural areas.  The capital cities would shift as the power did.  The Shang dynasty perfected the wheel and used chariots in warfare.

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.

China used a pictographic form of writing that remains to this day.  Often the word looked like its meaning, though today the characters are more complex.

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 Zhou or Chou dynasty replaced the Shang dynasty in 1027 B.C., and benefited from the Iron Age.  The Iron Age is the period of human history characterized the smelting of iron and its use in industry in western Asia and Egypt.  The Zhou dynasty lasted longer than any other one in Chinese history, ruling until 221 B.C. (ruling only in the east for the last few hundred years).  The multiplication tables developed during this dynasty.

China used a pictographic form of writing that it continues to utilize to this day, albeit in a more developed form.  Often the word looked like its meaning, though today the characters are much more complex.

Early Chinese religion consisted of worshiping a supreme god called “Shang Ti,” or “Lord on High.”  It ruled over the lesser gods of the sun, moon, wind, rain and other aspects of nature.  Sacrifices were made of humans to these gods.  When a king died, for example, hundreds of slaves and prisoners would be sacrificed in his honor.  There would also be sacrifices on a smaller scale when a temple or palace was constructed.

 

Early Chinese religion consisted of worshiping a supreme god called “Shang Ti,” or “Lord on High.”  Shang Ti ruled over the lesser gods of the sun, moon, wind, rain and other aspects of nature.  The ancient Chinese people worshiped these gods with human sacrifices.  When a king died, for example, hundreds of slaves and prisoners would be sacrificed in his honor.  There were also sacrifices on a smaller scale when a temple or palace was constructed.

=== Confucius ===

=== Confucius ===