period+5+Shang+Dynasty

Color Key Slogan:Where the Shang and We Made a Big Bang http://www.artsmia.org/art-of-asia/history/images/maps/china-shang-large.gif Dates:1523-1028 BC.
 * Name of Dynasty
 * Kelly Schuster
 * Olivia Werba
 * Nick Duhamel
 * Corey Theodore

Complete the acronym below by adding 3-4 bullet points and an image that relate to your civilization:

GOVERNMENT
 * stratified with a divine-right king
 * closely knit aristocracy ruling over large numbers of commoners
 * aristocrats acted as governors for the Shang states
 * aristocrats acted as military generals as well during times of war

Religion Economy
 * Sacrifice was very important in the lives of the people in the Shang Dynasty
 * The placement of the sacrifices is important, and many remains of animals and people were found in tombs
 * Many of the victims of the sacrifices had been ritually disfigured
 * Archeologists think that sacrifice was a way for the Shang to honor and appease their gods
 * Descendents to the imperial line were believed to ascend after death to dwell with Ti, the lord of the heavens, with servants who were sacrificed for the occasion
 * The slaves preformed all economic functions of society
 * Main income came from farming or the harvest of crops
 * Many farmers also knew how to cultivate the silkworm and weave its tread into beautiful cloth which would be used for clothing
 * Silk later became China’s main export
 * The artisans formed another group of the economic structure
 * Many artisans sell manufactured weapons, ritual vessels, jewelry, and other items

Art/ architecture - The Shang Dynasty bronzes have high levels of craftsmanship - Kaolin, also known as china clay is a material that is first used in ceramics in the Shang Dynasty - Early Chinese Kaolin pottery showed the porcelain like qualities which became important in the development in ceramics globally - They used Jade a lot for carvings Technology
 * An advanced writing system
 * A horse drawn chariot that help with the success in many military encounters
 * Bronze tools and weapons that help with the military and agriculture aspect of life
 * cast iron came into common use with the increase of population

Social Class Structure
 * The King and his nobles sat at the top of the social ladder
 * Warriors were also very powerful
 * Most of peasants had very little and barely made it through the taxes that the king enforced
 * Slaves were at the bottom of the social ladder, forced to do work for others, such as the nobles



**Summary of your civilization's achievements**: In the civilization, many great things have been brought forth by the rulers and commoners of the Dynasty. The Shang Dynasty also had many great inventions such as an advanced writing method, a horse drawn chariot and bronze tools and weapons that were used by the many skilled warriors. Many artifacts have been made out of clay and bronze Their main income came from farming and or harvesting crops. Some workers learned how to spin silk from silk worms into clothing. The Shang Dynasty was also lead by a king, so that one ruler could control the entire Dynasty. They also sacrificed people for religious purposes that was said to believe to be a gift to their gods.

Citations: //" Dynasties of China." // World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras //. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2011.//
 * "Shang China: Civilization in the Yellow River Valley (Overview)." //World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras//.ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 18 Sept. 2011.
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// "Shang dynasty." // World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras //. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2011.// // "kaolin." // World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras //. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2011.// // "Ancient Asia, 3000 BCE–500 CE." // World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras //. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2011.// // "Shang China: Civilization in the Yellow River Valley (Overview)." // World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras //. ABC-CLIO,2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2011.// "Shang China: Civilization in the Yellow River Valley (Overview)." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras //. ABC-CLIO,2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. help on how to format text ||  || http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/595893?terms=shang+dynasty ||
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