Archaeology of the Shang Dynasty

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Archaeology of the Shang Dynasty
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The Three Dynasties of the Chinese Empire

• Xia c. 2100-1600 BCE
• Shang c. 1600-1050 BCE
• Zhou c. 1000-256 BCE

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History of The Shang Dynasty

• The Shang was the second hereditary dynasty in
  China.
• It lasted almost six hundred years with
  thirty-one kings over seventeen generations.
• Shang used to be an old tribe who lived in the
  lower reach of the Yellow River. It was a
  tributary of the Xia Kingdom

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Geography Territory of the Shang

• According to Zhou-era traditional texts, the city
  of Anyang in northern Henan province was the
  preeminent Shang capital, center of a territory
  ruled by one dominant royal house.
• The city served as the ritual capital of the
  last nine Shang kings, from Wu Ding (21st king,
  c1200-1181 BCE) to Di Xin (29th king, c.
  1085-1045 BCE).

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Geography Territory of the Shang Contd
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Fu Haos Tomb

• Anyang is also an important site because of the
  tomb of Fu Hao, royal consort of Wu Ding.
• Fu Hao's is the only unlooted royal tomb and the
  only one conclusively identified with a person
  named in ancient texts.

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Findings from Fu Haos Tomb

• 468 bronze objects including 130 weapons, 23
  bells, 27 knives, 4 mirrors, and 4 tigers or
  tiger heads
• 755 jade objects
• 63 stone objects
• 5 ivory objects
• 564 bone objects including nearly 500 bone
  hairpins and over 20 bone arrowheads
• 11 pottery objects
• 6,900 pieces of cowry shell

Ivory beaker with turquoise From the tomb of the
Shang dynasty queen Fu Hao, c, 1200 BCE.
http//depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/archae/2fuhma
in.htm
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Findings from Fu Haos Tomb
Contd Bronze Pieces from Fu Hao
Bronze Ding vessel       Height 80.1cm, Weight
128kg
Bronze Ax                                         
                                
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Bronze Pieces from Fu Hao
http//www.marymount.k12.ny.us/marynet/TeacherReso
urces/bronzesproject/html/bklynmuse.htm
Covered container     Height 60cm,
Length 88cm,                         
Wine vessel     Height 46.3cm, Weight 16kg     
Drinking vessel                          
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Ancient Sichuan - Treasures From a Lost
Civilization

• In 1928, discoveries of ancient bronzes were made
  at Anyang. These finds supported the account of
  early Chinese histories as recorded in early
  texts. These writings portrayed the early Chinese
  civilization as culturally homogeneous -- strong
  and prosperous and extending its sphere of
  influence outward to encompass an ever-larger
  area of 'the world.'

http//www.marymount.k12.ny.us/marynet/TeacherReso
urces/bronzesproject/html/upcoming.htm
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Oracle Bones

• bones used for divination by the Chinese during
  the Shang dynasty (traditionally c.1766
  B.C.c.1122 B.C.)
• Along with contemporary inscriptions on bronze
  vessels, these records of divination, which were
  incised on the shoulder blades of animals (mainly
  oxen) and on turtle shells, contain the earliest
  form of Chinese writing.
• In addition to being an important source for
  understanding the development of written Chinese,
  they tell a great deal about Shang society.

http//www.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/uclib/bones/ob01.htm
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Neat Sites of Current Research Findings

• http//www.rom.on.ca/pub/shang/shango.html
• http//www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-11/11/con
  tent_280475.htm
• http//www.archaeology.org/0005/newsbriefs/shang.h
  tml

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

• RESENT DISCOVERIEShttp//www.archaeology.org/000
  5/newsbriefs/shang.htmlBEST LINKhttp//www.marym
  ount.k12.ny.us/marynet/TeacherResources/bronzespro
  ject/html/history.htmGENERAL INFORMATION
  SITEShttp//www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/histor
  y/shang/index.htmhttp//www.wisc.edu/arth/ah370/a
  h370s2.htmlhttp//www.china.org.cn/english/featur
  es/Archaeology/96935.htmhttp//www.humanities-int
  eractive.org/ancient/bronze/brochure_bronze_age.ht
  mhttp//www.csuchico.edu/cheinz/syllabi/asst001/
  spring98/history.htmhttp//campus.northpark.edu/h
  istory/WebChron/China/Shang.Chron.htmlhttp//magm
  a.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0307/feature3/
  http//www.tpt.org/china/bronze2.htmlhttp//www.
  nga.gov/education/chinatp_pt2.shtmhttp//www.art-
  and-archaeology.com/timelines/china/shang.htmlORA
  CLE BONE SITEhttp//www.bartleby.com/65/or/oracle
  bo.htmlhttp//www.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/uclib/bones/bon
  es.htmhttp//www.mirabilis.ca/archives/000656.htm
  l

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BIBLIOGRAPHY CONTINUED

• General Image Linkshttp//www.mythofcreation.co.
  uk/image_pages/mirror.htmFU  HAO'S TOMB
  SITEhttp//depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/archae/2
  fuhmain.htmGeneral FactsMirrors appeared in
  Shang China and in Mycenaean Greece, about
  thesame time periodMAPS/GEOGRAPHYhttp//www.art
  smia.org/arts-of-asia/china/maps/shang-map.cfmhtt
  p//www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/maps/
  view/images/chinam.jpghttp//www.library.utoronto
  .ca/east/students02/hoi_wan_lai/ancientm.gifhttp
  //www.nga.gov/exhibitions/china1999/compfig/map2.p
  dfErlitou Ruinshttp//www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/d
  oc/2003-11/11/content_280475.htmSICHUANhttp//ww
  w.marymount.k12.ny.us/marynet/TeacherResources/bro
  nzesproject/html/upcoming.htmhttp//metmuseum.org
  /special/Sichuan/treasure_images.htmVessel
  Imageshttp//www.marymount.k12.ny.us/marynet/Teac
  herResources/bronzesproject/html/bklynmuse.htmWar
  Chariot Recreationhttp//www.rom.on.ca/pub/shang
  /shango.html