The Xia Dynasty And The Shang Dynasty

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The Xia Dynasty

Back 1

2205-1700 B.C.E

developed technology to cast bronze

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King Tang

Back 2

overthrew Xia

established Shang Dynasty

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The Shang Dynasty

Back 3

1700-1045

enter time of recorded history

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Ancestor of Chinese scripture used today

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Shang Dynasty scripture

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Religion of the Shang Dynasty

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animistic deities/shamanistic rituals

may have included sacrificial rituals to appease dead spirits

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Ancient Shang metropolitan center

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14th or 15ty c. B.C.E.

had special artisan districts

little remains

perished due to lack of good building stone but plentiful supply of timber

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Lady Fu Hao

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died 1250 BCE

consort of King Wu Ding

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Chinese idea of afterlife during Shang period

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=extension of life

equipped royal tombs to be functioning homes for deceased

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Tomb of Lady Fu Hao contents

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horses
dogs
440 cast+decorated bronzed (w/name inscribed on)
600 jades
chariots
lacquered items
weapons
gold/silver ornaments
ivory inlaid w/turquoise
700 cowrie shells (Shang coinage)
Remains of 22 men and 24 women
axes used to behead them

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Sericulture

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technique for rearing silk worms/producing silk

perfected by 4000 BCE

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Splendor of Burials during Shang Dynasty represents

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wealth/power of leaders

reverence owed to deceased royal ancestors/past

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bronze vessels

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Shang leaders admired metal art controlled bronze workshops

30 distinctive types

derived from existing ceramic/wooden prototypes

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Religious importance of bronze vessels

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manufacturing complexity+symbolism= bronzeworking masters had status of shamans or priests

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ding

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Shang bronze vessel type

3 feet for cooking

derived from Neolothic ceramic

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taotie

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(ogre of glutton mask)

stylized face found on many Shang bronzes

represent gods/monsters that protect from evil

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taotie in other countries

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reappearance of face raises questions of human trafficking

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patinas

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blue, green, reddish discolorations on bronze

result from interaction w/minerals and soils around tomb

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yu

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Shang bronze vessel type

complicated sculptural form

intricately entwined human+animal figures/scrolls/serpentine forms

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Patterns and rhythms of decorations of yu

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arranged/integrated to accent+complement shape

enhances appeal

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Chinese piece-mold casting

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produce fully detailed clay model

create negative mold of shape/decorations

bronze poured into spaced between model and mold

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Chinese writing

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value of writing magnified because of Unusual style of written Chinese

characters are pictographic, stand for words+ideas not sounds

writing can be understood by all languages

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Chinese writing effects

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all language speakers can share religious, philosophical, artistic traditions

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oracle bones

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bones found in Shang tombs

marked w/written messgae

heated until cracked

cracks read by shamans who could see future in them

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oracle bones and writing

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preserve earliest writing

has continuity for 4000 years

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Figure found

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first human figure

ritually broken before put in tomb