Caitlin M Non-chronological report

The rule of the Shang Dynasty

What if we lived in the past? What if we lived 3000 years ago? What if we lived in the Shang Dynasty? Ruling from 1600 BC to 1045 BC, the Shang dynasty was one of the most well known Ancient civilisations. It all revolved around religion, and a lot of evidence has been found about this facinating civilisation.

DID YOU KNOW?

Silk making began in the 27th century with the yellow empress

Farming

Religion

Life was difficult for farmers. They had no electric ploughs so had to labourisly do it by hand. They were very poor and had little to eat. This was because their land was owned by nobles so they had to give them part of the food they grew and had to work without pay on the nobles house, roads and bridges. The main crops were millet, wheat and barley, but farmers also kept dogs, sheep, silkworms and oxen. The oxen or humans pulled stone ploughs. This was hard work and took much longer than today. Poor children worked almost equally as hard, and didn't get a good education. Only rich children went to school, poor children worked on the fields. Shang farmers may have also grown rice, since archeologists have found a character for rice.

The Shang dynasty was split into 2 different parts-rich and poor, but no matter your class, the Shang people all had one thing in common-religion. The main god was Shangdi, the lord on high. The Shang people believed their gods were very powerful and had to be kept happy with prayers and gifts, including animal sacrifices. It was believed that if you spoke badly of a dead ancestor, they would bring you bad luck. Some also believed that the king and his immediate family were related to the highest god. It was believed Shangdi gave instructions to his ancestors. Religion was a vital part of the Shang dynasty.

The Shang people

When archaeologists dug near the yellow river,they found the remains of tombs and buildings.This proved the Shang dynasty was a real thing.From studying more clues left by the Shang people,archeologists discovered they had developed a class system.Most people fell into the class of commoners,and they were normally farmers,potters,sculptors,metal workers and soldiers.The king was the most important person but he had nobles to help him and chose lords to rule over certain pieces of land.The priests were in charge of religious ceremonies and kept the government records.They also interpreted the dragon bones,which were engraved with a question the king wanted to ask the gods.When the priest cracked the bane open,the question was believed to be answered.However,one class was even lower than commoners-slaves.many were prisoners captured in wars fought by the king,and forced to work for no money.They were very poorly treated.

Did you know?

Dragon bones were really strangely marked animal bones!

A bronze axe head

In conclusion,everything in the Shang dynasty was amazing.From dragon bones to tombs and buildings,our way of life may have descended from the Shang dynasty.