#1 There was development of a stratified government during its reign
The Shang dynasty is the earliest Chinese dynasty for which there is both documentary and archaeological evidence. However, many scholars believe in the existence of the preceding Xia dynasty. Still it is considered that Shang controlled much more area than Xia thus becoming the first dynasty to bring a considerable part of China under the rule of one king. Shang was also the first dynasty to have an organized political system with multi-level ranks and many specialized functions and jobs.
#2 The earliest known writing in China is from the Shang dynasty
An oracle bones from the Shang period – Such artifacts are the first example of Chinese writing
During the Shang dynasty characters
were carved on animal bones in order to frame questions regarding the
future like “Will the king have a son?”, “Will it rain tomorrow?” etc.
The bones were then heated over a fire and the resultant cracks were
interpreted by a diviner to determine the answer. These oracle bones of
the Shang era are the earliest example of Chinese writing.
#3 Some characters of the writing system of Shang are still in use
The refined writing system of Shang is
perhaps its most significant achievement. Apart from the oracle bones,
writings were carved on stones, bronze items etc. There were over 2000 symbols
in their writing system. Although writing has since evolved in China,
many current Chinese characters can been traced back to the Shang
Dynasty.
