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General
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| History |
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Xia
(2200-1700 BC) and Shang (1700-1100 BC) Dynasties
Although
evidence for the existence of the Xia Dynasty is scarce compared to that
of Shang, it is widely believed that they held power for nearly five centuries
from 2200 to 1700 BC, before corruption and the Shang crushed them. Similarly,
archeological findings showed that a state had existed in the Yellow River
plains in the present provinces of Shangdong, Shanxi and Shaanxi, and
that it held power from 1554 to 1045 BC. It was an agricultural society
that placed high esteem on ancestral worship. This worship came in the
form of high priests who practiced divination using 'oracle bones'. The
latter are bones carved to form symbols and are believed to be the earliest
form of Chinese writing.
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