China's first oracle bones
the Shang emerge from myth — Erligang cities and early bronze
~1600-1400 BCE
inscribed turtle shells and ox bones become China's first written records
~1400-1200 BCE
ritual vessels, human sacrifice, and the most sophisticated bronze in the world
Bronze culture
a royal consort who led armies and had her own oracle bone archive
~1250-? BCE
ancestor worship, Di the high god, and divination as statecraft
Religion
farmers, craftsmen, and the daily rhythms of Shang society
Daily life and trade
a contemporary bronze culture in Sichuan that nobody expected
~1200-1050 BCE
King Wu's rebellion, the Battle of Muye, and the Mandate of Heaven
~1100-1046 BCE