Table of Contents
What did the Shang Dynasty use for transportation?
The Shang used wheeled carts for transport in times of peace and chariots for hunting and as a means of overseeing warfare. They also used canoes for local trade. Cowrie shells show they traded with coastal dwellers but they did not trade further afield.
How did people move around in ancient China?
Most people in ancient China got around by walking or by bicycle. Those with more money could use animal carts.
How did rivers helped to shape Chinese civilization?
Perhaps the two most important geographical features of Ancient China were the two major rivers that flowed through central China: the Yellow River to the north and the Yangtze River to the south. These major rivers were a great source of fresh water, food, fertile soil, and transportation.
Where did the Shang dynasty rule?
The Shang dynasty was the second of three hereditary dynasties—the Hsia, Shang, and Chou—that ruled ancient China. The period of Shang rule is traditionally dated 1766 to 1122 BC. The Shang controlled the North China Plain, an area near the Yellow River roughly corresponding to the modern provinces of Anhui, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, and Shanxi.
What role did rituals play in the Shang dynasty?
The Shang worshipped the high god Di, and the king was believed to be the person who could best communicate with the god via his royal ancestors. Thus, rituals played a large role in the king’s rule—in particular, the interpretation of divine omens and signs was a key part of royal decision making.
What is the late Shang period known for?
The Late Shang period is best represented by a cluster of sites focused on the village of Xiaotun, west of Anyang in northern Henan. Known to history as Yinxu, “the Ruins of Yin” (Yin was the name used by the succeeding Zhou dynasty for the Shang), it was a seat of royal power for the last nine Shang kings, from Wuding to Dixin.
What technological advances were made during the Shang dynasty?
Technological innovation and exchange. Bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, was a hugely important metal during the Shang period. Shang metal workers developed a highly sophisticated method for casting bronze and used it to make ceremonial objects and weapons.