LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Shang Dynasty: Anyang City
built 640 days ago
The Shang Dynasty ruled the territory of the present-day north-central provinces of Henan, Hubei, and Shandong and the northern part of Anhui. The capital, from about 1384 BC on, was situated at Anyang near the northern border of Henan. The economy was based on agriculture, augmented by hunting and animal husbandry, millet, wheat, barley, and, possibly, some rice was grown. Silkworms were cultivated, and pigs, dogs, sheep, and oxen were raised. Bronze vessels, weapons, and other tools have been found, indicative of a high level of metallurgy and craftsmanship. Two important events of the period were the development of a writing system, as revealed in archaic Chinese inscriptions found on tortoise shells and flat cattle bones (commonly called oracle bones), and the use of bronze metallurgy.
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Because Tang had been the leader of the Shang tribe, the new era he established is known as the Shang dynasty (16th-11th century B.C.). As the periods' first emperor, Tang was loved for his virtuous rule and his choice of skilled bureaucrats to carry out his mandates. Although the capital city moved five times during the 500 years of Shang rule, the period was one of tremendous economic growth. Agriculture prospered due to the use of improved ploughs, shovels and other farming tools, and the use of bronze and other metals became widespread. The variety of goods produced by artisans ... expanded greatly. In addition to the mass production of metal goods, Shang civilization revolutionized the production of fine silk textiles.
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Before the Shang, Chinese tradition mentions a Hsia Dynasty, but for lack of evidence, the Hsia is still considered a legendary period. Until the late 1920s the Shang Dynasty too was thought to be legendary but discoveries made near the modern city of Anyang (the site of the Shang capital) in Henan Province proved that the dynasty existed. The most important of these discoveries…
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The archaeological site of Yin Xu, close to Anyang City, some 500 km south of Beijing, is an ancient capital city of the late Shang Dynasty (1300 - 1046 BC). It testifies to the golden age of early Chinese culture, crafts and sciences, a time of great prosperity of the Chinese Bronze Age. A number of royal tombs and palaces, prototypes of later Chinese architecture, have been unearthed on the site, including the Palace and Royal Ancestral Shrines Area, with more than 80 house foundations, and the only tomb of a member of the royal family of the Shang Dynasty to have remained intact, the Tomb of Fu Hao. The large number and superb craftsmanship of the burial accessories found there bear testimony to the advanced level of Shang crafts industry. Inscriptions on oracle bones found in Yin Xu bear invaluable testimony to the development of one of the world’s oldest writing systems, ancient beliefs and social systems.
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Archaeological findings providing evidence for the existence of the Shang Dynasty (商朝), c 1600–1046 BC is divided into two sets. The first, from the earlier Shang period (c 1600–1300) comes from sources at Erligang (二里崗), Zhengzhou (é„å·) and Shangcheng. The second set, from the later Shang or Yin (æ®·) period, consists of a large body of oracle bone writings. Anyang (安陽) in modern day Henan has been confirmed as the last of the six capitals of the Shang (c 1300–1046 BC).
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In the 20th century, the discovery of inscriptions on tortoise shells or animal bones and excavation of the Yin Ruins of Anyang proved the existence of the Shang Dynasty. This greatly encouraged Chinese scholars, who hoped to restore the real appearance of the Xia Dynasty by seeking relevant relics.
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