Introduction



__ Introduction to the Shang Dynasty__
The Shang Dynasty started from 1600 - 1046 B.C.E. It is often called the first real Chinese dynasty, despite the presence of earlier "dynasties" such as the Xia Dynasty (the first recorded dynasty). Shang is considered the first because some scholars believe that the Xia Dynasty didn't exist, despite the archeological evidence of it. There is also dispute over the last capital of Shang. Some say it was called Yin (causing some to call it the Yin Dynasty) while others believe it was called An-yang. Most of the Shang Dynasty is disputed, such as the date at which it rose and fell and the names of different people (such as Chiang Tai Kung, who was sometimes called Jiang, although I found another site that said that King Wen's son was named Jiang). Some things are known about it for sure, such as that it had one of the first examples of pictograph writing and that it made great advances in the bronzing industry.



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