Parts of ancient China were controlled by different clans, or extended families. Rival clans frequently fought each other. Sometimes, one clan became powerful enough to rule all of ancient China and begin a dynasty. The Shang was one example of such clans.
For hundreds of years, the Shang dynasty was considered a legend by Western scholars. Stories about some mysterious markings on animal bones hinted that the Shang might have been the first Chinese to use a system of writing. But still archaeologists had no solid evidence that the ancient culture had ever existed.
Summary:
A Shang Capital City The ruins and artifacts found at Anyang show that the Shang believed in an afterlife. Kings were buried with goods, people, and animals that would be useful to them in their life after death.
Shang Government Shang kings were powerful rulers who inherited their power and kept it through family ties and military might.
Shang Social Classes Shang society can be divided into six social classes: the king's clan, nobles, artisans, traders, farmers, and slaves.
Shang Religion, Writing, Arts, and Technology The Shang practiced ancestor worship and, sometimes, human sacrifice. Their writing used logographs as well as pictographs. Shang artisans excelled in working with bronze and jade. The bronze weapons they created enabled the Shang to stay in power.
The End of the Shang Dynasty The Shang ruled in the valley of the Huang He for some five hundred years. They traded widely and grew wealthy. But constant warfare, lavish spending, and corruption in the ruling class may have led to the dynasty's downfall. Around 1045 B.C.E., the Shang were defeated by the Zhou.