Bronzes, Oracle Bones, and the
Legitimation of Power
HSA-13 Hist e-1825
September 21, 2007
The Xia /Hsia 夏 dynasty (“2200-1700 BC”)
-- historical existence yet unverified
The Shang 商 dynasty (c. 1700-1046 BC)
capital at Yin (modern An-yang)
（c. 1300-1046 BC）
The Zhou/Chou 周 dynasty (1045-256 BC)
- Hao
Sackler
Museum
notches for
making
cracks
inscription
of the
diviners
questions
on a
shoulder
bone
plastron with
inscriptions
and cracks
ca. 1000 BC
ca. 800 BC
- Hao