SHANG DYNASTY (THE BRONZE AGE)
QUICK REVIEW
What continent is China
located on?
 Name the two major rivers.
 What isolated China from the
rest of the world?

SHANG
It was the first dynasty
 Established by the 1500’s BC
 Lasted 700 years
 30 different kings ruled during this dynasty
 Strongest in the Huang He Valley
 Ruled a broad area of Northern China
 They moved their capital numerous times to
avoid floods or attacks by their enemy
 Known for human sacrifices

CITIES
Had protective walls that were 30 ft high, 65 ft thick
and 4 miles long
 Inside the walls lived the Royal Family, priests and
warriors
 Artisans lived outside
the walls in mud houses
that were built up against
the wall
 Farmers lived in villages
outside the walls

SHANG SOCIAL ORDER
Shang had an organized social order
 1. Royal Family, Nobles and Warriors
 2. Artisans
 3. Farmers
 4. Slaves

TOP LEVEL-#1
The King-Was at the center of Shang
political and religious life
 Lived in large homes made of
Mud and wood
 Hunting was a favorite pasttime

#1
Nobles- job was to advise the
king, they owned a lot of land
that they passed down to their
Sons
 Lived in large, brick homes with tiled roofs
 Homes were lavishly decorated and furnished

#1
Warriors-fought for the
dynasty
 Wore bronze armor
 Used chariots made of
bronze and wood
 Each chariot had a driver,
spearman and an archer
 Carried daggers, spears,
and axes

#2-ARTISANS
Lived in groups outside the city walls
 Made weapons, pottery, tools, clothing

#3 FARMERS
Most people were
farmers
 Worked long hours and had little money
 Most of the money they made had to be
paid to the government in taxes
 They didn’t own the land
 Had to give the nobles part of the food
they grew

#4-SLAVES
Lowest rank
 They were an important
source of labor

ADVANCES

Came up with China’s first writing system-a
lot of the
symbols used today
in Chinese language
come from those
made during the
Shang Dynasty
ORACLE BONES
Priests carve
questions about the
future on bones
 They put the bones over a fire and the
bones crack
 The priests thought they could “read” the
cracks to predict the future

ADVANCES
Beautiful bronze
containers for cooking and religious ceremonies
 Axes
 Knives
 Ornaments from jade
 War chariots
 Bow
 Bronze body armor
 Calendar based on the cycle of the moon

A TRADITION THAT IS STILL PRACTICED TODAY
Ancestor Worship-worshiping and praying to
family members who are deceased
 Offer gifts, such as meat or wine to ancestors
to show respect
 If you didn’t offer gifts, natural disaster would
occur
 Would often build temples for ancestors
 Inside the home their was and altar to pray to
their ancestors
