Home Region: North China (East Asia)

Late Shang

1250 BCE 1045 BCE

D G SC WF R CC

EQ 2020 cn_late_shang_dyn / CnShang

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

[continuity; Erligang period] [continuity] Update here

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.

1122 BCE 771 BCE Western Zhou (cn_western_zhou_dyn) [elite replacement]

Displayed:

Learn more about polity border choices. Map Modern Map only Opacity Year Play rate (y/s)
Hit enter after changing the year or setting the play rate.

General Description

The Late Shang Dynasty (1250-1045 BCE) was an extension of the Erligang culture based in Yinxu, near modern Anyang. The Late Shang were the last 12 kings of the dynasty, beginning with Pan Geng. Unlike in Erligang settlements, pottery, oracle bones and other artefacts showing a fully formed writing system have been found at Late Shang sites. This system included ’pictograms, ideograms, and phonograms’. ^[1] The oldest written records uncovered from Shang contexts date back to 1200 BCE. ^[1]
The civilization at Yinxu is considered to represent the golden age of the Shang Dynasty ^[2] and 11 major royal tombs have been uncovered there by archaeologists. ^[2] Pottery and bronze and jade work flourished in the Late Shang period. ^[3] The Late Shang also had a developed calendar system with 30 days in a month and 12 months (360 days) in a year. ^[4]
Population and political organization
The Late Shang were based on the North China Plain. The dynasty’s territory stretched north to modern Shandong, south to Hebei, and west to Henan. ^[5] The Shang government was a feudal system in which the king and a class of military nobility ruled over the masses, who were mainly farmers. ^[6] Shang kings also served as high priests. ^[7] The Late Shang were in constant conflict with surrounding settlements and with civilizations from the steppe. ^[8]
The population of the Late Shang Dynasty was around 5 million in 1045 BCE. ^[9] The population of the Yinxu settlement in Anyang is unknown.

[1]: (San 2014, 19) San, Tan Koon. 2014. Dynastic China: An Elementary History. Malaysia: The Other Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TB95WB7F.

[2]: (San 2014, 17) San, Tan Koon. 2014. Dynastic China: An Elementary History. Malaysia: The Other Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TB95WB7F.

[3]: (San 2014, 20) San, Tan Koon. 2014. Dynastic China: An Elementary History. Malaysia: The Other Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TB95WB7F.

[4]: (Encyclopedia Britannica 2017) “Shang Dynasty.” Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shang-dynasty Accessed May 29, 2017. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/8GNFD4WH.

[5]: (San 2014, 16) San, Tan Koon. 2014. Dynastic China: An Elementary History. Malaysia: The Other Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TB95WB7F.

[6]: (San 2014, 16, 21) San, Tan Koon. 2014. Dynastic China: An Elementary History. Malaysia: The Other Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TB95WB7F.

[7]: (San 2014, 16) San, Tan Koon. 2014. Dynastic China: An Elementary History. Malaysia: The Other Press. https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TB95WB7F)

[8]: (San 2014, 21) San, Tan Koon. 2014. Dynastic China: An Elementary History. Malaysia: The Other Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TB95WB7F.

[9]: (McEvedy and Jones 1978, 170-72) McEvedy, Colin, and Richard Jones. 1978. Atlas of World Population History. Penguin. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/6U4QZXCG/q/atlas%20of%20world%20population.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

2 Capital

1 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Scale of Supracultural Interaction

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

2 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

1 Language

Religion

1 Religion Genus

1 Religion Family

1 Alternate Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Non Phonetic Writing

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

1 Store Of Wealth

1 Debt And Credit Structure

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

1 Geometrical Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases

1 Crisis Consequence

Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

Instability Events

4 Instability Event

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn) was in:
(1250 BCE 1046 BCE)	Middle Yellow River Valley

Home NGA: Middle Yellow River Valley

General Variables

Identity and Location Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	50 S	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Original Name	Late Shang	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Capital	Shang	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Capital	Yin	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Alternative Name	Anyang Period	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Temporal Bounds Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	1200 BCE
Loading...

Duration	[1250 BCE ➜ 1045 BCE]
Loading...

Political and Cultural Relations Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	vassalage to [---]	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Supracultural Entity	China	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Succeeding Entity	Western Zhou	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Scale of Supracultural Interaction	1,000,000 km²	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Succeeding Entity 1122 BCE 771 BCE	Western Zhou (cn_western_zhou_dyn) [elite replacement]
Loading...

Preceding Entity	continuity; Erligang period [continuity] Update here
Loading...

Degree of Centralization	unitary state	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Language Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Sino-Tibetan	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Language	Chinese	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Religion Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Religion Genus	Chinese State Religion	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Religion Family	Shang Religion	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Alternate Religion	Uncoded Undecided	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	4,000 people	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Polity Territory	1,000,000 km²	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Polity Population	5,000,000 people	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Hierarchical Complexity Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	3	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Religious Level	3	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Military Level	[4 to 5]	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Administrative Level	[4 to 5]	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Professions Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Professional Priesthood	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Professional Military Officer	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Bureaucracy Characteristics Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Merit Promotion	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Full Time Bureaucrat	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Examination System	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Law Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Uncoded Undecided	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Judge	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Formal Legal Code	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Court	Uncoded Undecided	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Specialized Buildings: polity owned Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Irrigation System	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Food Storage Site	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Drinking Water Supply System	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Transport Infrastructure Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Port	Uncoded Undecided	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Canal	Uncoded Undecided	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Bridge	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Special-purpose Sites Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Information / Writing System Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Script	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Nonwritten Record	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Non Phonetic Writing	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Information / Kinds of Written Documents Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Sacred Text	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Religious Literature	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Practical Literature	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Philosophy	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Lists Tables and Classification	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

History	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Fiction	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Calendar	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Information / Money Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Precious Metal	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Paper Currency	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Indigenous Coin	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Foreign Coin	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Article	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Store Of Wealth	Uncoded Undecided	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Debt And Credit Structure	Uncoded Undecided	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Information / Postal System Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Uncoded Undecided	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

General Postal Service	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Courier	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Information / Measurement System Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Geometrical Measurement System	Uncoded Undecided	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Stone Walls Non Mortared	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Stone Walls Mortared	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Modern Fortification	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Moat	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Earth Rampart	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Ditch	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Complex Fortification	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Long Wall	absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Military use of Metals Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Iron	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Copper	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Bronze	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Projectiles Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Sling Siege Engine	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Sling	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Self Bow	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Javelin	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Handheld Firearm	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Crossbow	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Composite Bow	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Atlatl	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Handheld weapons Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Sword	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Spear	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Polearm	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Dagger	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Battle Axe	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Animals used in warfare Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Elephant	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Donkey	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Dog	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Armor Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Shield	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Scaled Armor	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Plate Armor	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Limb Protection	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Leather Cloth	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Laminar Armor	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Helmet	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Chainmail	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Breastplate	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Naval technology Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
Loading...

Human Sacrifice Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More