early china

Longshan culture

Where burials and walled settlements are found, spearheads/weapons, middle north China, 2500 BCE, more social organizations

Xia dynasty

Bronze Age sites from 2000 BCE, debate over existence, likely non existent

Erlitou culture

Bronze Age site/culture, suggests urban palaces, central ish China 1900-1500 BCE

Shang dynasty

Fuzzy beginning, 1600-1045 BCE, military chieftains, cities (An Yang), battles, bronze weapons, religion with Di god/ancestors, elaborate tombs

Lady Fu Hao

Well preserved tomb of head wife, 2000 items, involved in religion and military

Oracle Bones

Bones of animals inscribed with different characters used for divination

Sanxingdui

Different Bronze Age society with masks

Western Zhou

Frontier state that took over Shang in 1045, until 771, 3 rulers: king wen, wu, and Duke of Zhou

Book of documents

First written oral history, some parts verified

Mandate of Heaven

King has right to rule because of heaven god, as long as he’s a good ruler

Zhou rule

Quasi feudal system, family rules country, act like nobles, move to east post takeover