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=**Shang Dynasty China - The Bronze Age** = 1600 B.C. - 1046 B.C

==== The Shang Dynasty rose in the year 1600 B.C.E. During its life time, the dynasty experienced many aspects of a complex society. China at this time has an extremely complex writing system, military and government controlled territory, elaborate architecture, beautiful religious works of art and mesmerizing religious beliefs. Writing began in ancient Bronze Age China as a tool for record-keeping, and was later developed and kept within society for divination and occult. A necessity arose of recording dimension of pots as well as the number of pots produced, thus it was advantageous to create a systematic way of recording number and objects. Bronze Age China architecture was formatted to separate the different social classes. Walls excluded the poor living in caves and small thatched houses from the wealthy living in large enclosed palaces. Only those who had special skills that could benefit the wealthy were able to live right outside the palace walls. Social status determined living arrangements. R eligious beliefs and ceremonies propose to maintain and legitimize inequality in Shang China. Proofs of this are burial rituals that show the inequality between those of low and high status and how they are treated. Based on archaeological evidence of weapons, use of chariots and a long line of militaristic kings, the Shang Dynasty was a society that thrived on warfare. Due to all of these qualities the Shang Dynasty grew and flourished until its downfall. The dynasty ended in the year 1046 B.C.E ====



**Wiki Created By:**
Brittany Loveland - Architecture Lindsey Roan - Writing Stephanie Suda - Religion (General) Ricki Wolf - Warfare Brett Strauss - Religion (Government and Society)