What was life like in the Shang Dynasty?

How did life differ in the Shang Dynasty?

There was a clear hierarchy in the Shang dynasty, where wealthier and more powerful people were treated as more important.

The rich people including the king and aristocracy (very powerful people in the Shang dynasty) were powerful, but most people were poor and worked on farms.

There were also skilled craftspeople working with bronze and jade who were above the farmers in the hierarchy, but below soldiers and the aristocracy.

Important words

Important words on what it was like to live in the Shang Dynasty.

Keyword	Definition
Afterlife	A belief that there is another life after death.
Ancestor worship	A belief in honouring family members who have died.
Aristocracy	Very powerful people in the Shang Dynasty.
Astronomers	People who study space, the stars and other planets.
Hierarchy	Organising people in a society based on how powerful they were.

Watch: Life in the Shang Dynasty

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What was life like for ordinary people?

An oracle bone from the Shang dynasty. — Image caption,
Oracle bones, animal bones covered in writing, tell us about life in the Shang Dynasty.

Life centred around farming, hunting and animals.

Houses were built from mud.

The oldest written texts tell us that by the end of the Shang dynasty, writing was fully developed.

There was music and astronomers (people who study space, the stars and other planets) looked at the planet Mars and comets.

People did not eat rice or drink tea.

They ate bread, wheat, cheese and beer.

What happened at the royal court?

Image caption,
A reconstruction of the Palace of Yinxu, at the Yinxu UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Around the palace of Yinxu, near Anyang, there were as many as 53 buildings.

The king was in charge of the army and led religious ceremonies.

Decorated tombs were built for the kings.

They were buried with carriages and weapons for the afterlife (a belief that there is another life after death).

Servants and horses were also buried alive with them!

How important was bronze?

A Shang period bronze tiger — Image caption,
Craftspeople made lots of bronze items in the Shang dynasty, like this bronze tiger.

Craftspeople made a lot of bronze.

This was used to make cups, bowls, religious items and weapons.

Bronze items were used more for religious ceremonies than in everyday life.

Ordinary people used stone or wood to make their cups and bowls.

Think like a historian

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