The Shang Dynasty

The Shang Dynasty was the the first complex civilization of China. To find out about the Shang, the students “excavate” a Shang tomb to learn about their government, social structure, religion, writing, art, and technology. The students examined the "artifacts" and used a decoder to reveal information about the artifact. After interpreting“artifacts” from the tomb, they read about the characteristics of this civilization. The students then explored the Shang's belief in ancestral worship by watching a clip of Mulan and recreated a Shang scene of ancestral worship. We wrapped up our study of the Shang by trying our hand at predicting the future by creating our own oracle bones. Oracle bones were used by the Shang to seek advice from the ancestors. The king would ask a question, and the priest would crave the question into an animal bone or turtle shell. The priest would then hold a bronze pin to the bone causing it to form cracks. The priest would then study the cracks to find the answer.