Chinese History
The Shang dynasty marked one of the earliest recorded periods of history in ancient China, for which substantial archeological evidence exists. Although Chinese culture did not necessarily flourish during the Shang, a system of writing was first developed, its characters etched on the so-called oracle bones. The Shang dynasty was a bronze-based society that extended from 1700 to 1027 BCE. The form of government practiced during the Shang was largely based on an alliance of numerous city-states, which would pledge their allegiance to the rulers in power. However, although there were ruling parties, there was no established capital city. Fluctuating political power meant that the capital city shifted continuously, depending on intergenerational or political need. Familial ties and hereditary decent were the main means of establishing succession; often male rulers would pass on their lineage to their younger brothers. Although life was by no means easy during the Shang period, a decentralized government meant a relatively high degree of autonomy and freedom for individual families and communities.
The next successive period in early Chinese history, the Zhou dynasty, marked the creation of a fundamentally feudal system. Overall power still remained largely decentralized and alliance-based during much of the Zhou period. However, landowners served more formally as vassals for the dynastic rulers. One of the main disadvantages of living under Zhou rule was that farmers and other agricultural workers would have been forced to submit to the government under the feudal system. Moreover, the...
Ancient Chinese Bronzes The existence of the believed first prehistoric Chinese dynasty of Xia from the 21st to the 16th century was assumed a myth on account of scientific excavations at early bronze-age sites in Anyang, Henan Province in 1928 (Crystal 2004) (Poon). But archaeological finds in the 1960s and 1970s, consisting mainly of urban sites, bronze implements and tombs, provided evidence to the existence of a Xia civilization in the
One of those buildings was the International Foreign Trade Center -- Shenzhen's first skyscraper and the tallest building in China (36). Hong Kong is commonly referred to as a place where "East meets West" because of its hybrid nature. That is, there is a culture mix occurring that is part traditional Chinese as well part British due to its colonization by the British. Hong Kong is quite a modern place,
Olmec Although scientists found artifacts and art objects of the Olmecs; until this century they did not know about the existence of the Olmecs. Most of the objects which were made by this community were associated with other civilizations, such as Mayan, Toltec or Chichimecan. The Olmec lived between 1600 B.C. And 1400 B.C. In South Mexico. The name of this tribe comes from an Aztec word "ollin" which means
Oracle Bone and Traditional China According to ancient writings, the history of China dates back approximately 3,300 years. Studies by modern archaeologists provide evidence of ancient origins in a culture that was flourishing between 2500-2000 B.C. In an area that is now central China and the lower Huang He Valley in northern China. Through centuries of migration, amalgamation and development, a distinctive system of writing, philosophy, art, and political organization came
difficult for a person to be able to accept cultural values from a community that he or she is not familiar with. A person's cultural identity represents part of that person and shapes the way that he or she reacts to particular situations. The Chinese culture is very complex and entails a great deal of ideals and beliefs that are characteristically Chinese when considering the way they are put
Both Spartan men and women exercised together in the nude, and both were "encouraged to improve their intellectual skills" ("Women in Ancient Greece"). Being a woman in Sparta certainly ensured a greater sense of gender equality -- but that does not necessarily mean Sparta was the preferred residence of women in Greece. After all, Sparta did without a lot of the creature comforts that other city-states like Athens took
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