5th+hour+Shang+Dynasty

5th hour Shang Dynasty Shang Dynasty

Intro The Shang Dynasty marked the middle of China’s Bronze Age. It started 1600 B.C. and ended 1050 B.C.; it was a dynasty that made great contributions to Chinese civilization. They contributed amazing sculptures; art, started making many things out of bronze, used bronze weapons and chariots, started writing, and had an organized government. They had a very complex society. This is an altar made completely of crushd earth  Religion By Shang times, the Chinese had developed complex religious belief. They prayed too many gods and nature spirits. Chief among them were Shang Di and a mother goddess who brought plants and animals to earth. Gods as great as Shang Di, the Chinese believed, would not respond to the pleas of mere mortals.

This is what they believed Shang di looked like



 Social classes

Early Chinese cities supported a class if Artisans and merchants. Artisans produced goods for nobles, including bronze weapons, silk robes, and Jade jewelry. Merchants organized trade, exchanging food and crafts made by local Artisans for salt, cowire shells, and other goods not found in Eastern China.

This is a oracle bone

Central Government and Laws

A Chinese group called the Shang controlled this era, in northern china. Shang kings led other noble warriors in battle. It’s believed that Shang kings had only a small area of control. Princes and nobles loyal to the Shang dynasty governed most of the land. Shang china probably resembled governments ruled by the Egyptian pharaohs. This is a picture of what a Shang Dynasty king may have looked like. Writing and record keeping The ancient Chinese used pictographs and ideographs. Ideographs are signs that expressed thoughts or ideas. They would also use calligraphy that was fine handwriting. This is a picture of an ideograph they may have used.

Art and architecture During the Shang Dynasty people would sculpt buckets and other things like that, that depicted demons. During this era they made a lot of pottery. One thing they were really good at was calligraphy, or fine hand writing. Chinese scholars turned this into an elegant form of art. They did a lot of metal work especially with bronze because it was just discovered. this is a sculpture from the Shang Dynasty

Job Specialization During the Shang Dynasty there was not much job specialization. If you were a peasant you would farm, when you weren’t farming you repaired the dikes, if war started you fought alongside your lords. Merchants organized trade; they would trade salt, cowrie shells, and other goods with artisans for food and salt. Artisans made goods for the nobles, things such as bronze weapons, silk robes, and jade jewelry. This is a sculpture of the army during this era Cities The peasants often lived outside the walls of the city in houses made of mud and wood beams. Those inside the city lived in pits and cellars. Common people lived in towns outside of the city walls. The king, nobility resided in the center of the large city and he also lived in a house made of mud. Below is a castle from this era.

Conclusion These topics that we addressed covered most of the Shang Dynasty. From how they lived to how they functioned in everyday life with religion, is the make-up of the Shang Dynasty. While they are a lot different from us and how we function, they made the most out of life. This is a map of china were the Shang Dynasty occured     Work Cited: Elisabeth Gaynor Ellis, Anthony Esler, and Burton F. Beers