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World & History
c. 2070 BCE – 221 BCE (Xia, Shang, Zhou, Warring States) · Yellow River (Huang He) and Yangtze River
Yellow River (Huang He) and Yangtze River
China (Henan, Shaanxi, Shandong, Hubei)
Oracle Bone Script (Jiaguwen) inscribed on turtle plastrons and ox scapulae, direct ancestor of modern Chinese characters
Anyang (Yinxu), Zhengzhou, Luoyang
The Yellow River ('Mother River' of China) fostered dense agricultural communities cultivating millet and wheat in its loess soil, while the Yangtze nurtured wet-rice farming.
The Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE) established China's earliest historical dynasty substantiated by written archaeological records at Anyang. Kings communicated with ancestral spirits via pyro-osteomancy (oracle bones).
The succeeding Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE) introduced the concept of the 'Mandate of Heaven' (Tianming), asserting that rulers govern through moral rectitude and lose divine legitimacy if they become tyrannical. The late Zhou 'Hundred Schools of Thought' produced Confucius, Laozi, and Sun Tzu.
Yinxu Royal Tombs at Anyang
Massive subterranean stepped cruciform tombs containing bronze weapons and chariots
Tomb of Lady Fu Hao
Intact Shang royal tomb containing 468 bronze vessels and over 750 jade carvings
Sanxingdui Bronze Artifacts
Giant bronze masks with protruding eyes and gold-sheet crowns in Sichuan
Zhou feudal decentralization eroded central authority, leading to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, culminated in Qin Shi Huang unifying China in 221 BCE into the first imperial dynasty.
Frequently tested examiner questions, excavation dates, discoverers, and key historical points:
Practice questions on Ancient China (Shang & Zhou Dynasties)
Test your memory with real competitive exam MCQs.