Shang Dynasty Spice Chart

Spice for the Shang Dynasty Social Structures: * In the Shang Dynasty the highest on the social ladder was definitely the Royal Family and the aristocracy (chief landowners that often served as officials). * Warriors also held a very high power. * A majority of the people during the Shang Dynasty were peasants who worked for the aristocrats. Also a small number of merchants, artisans, and slaves. All of which were at the bottom of the “social ladder”. * Slaves most often used as sacrifices for the Gods.
Political:
* The Shang Dynasty was a monarchy, meaning it was ruled by a king. There were about 29 kings throughout the rise and fall of the Shang Dynasty, starting from King Tang. * The Shang king ruled from the capital city, which changed about five times before settling in
The king controlled the armies, which in protecting the kingdom came runner up to the protective geography of China.
Interaction / Human-Environment: * The Shang Dynasty was well known for their use of bronze. Mostly in weaponry. * A very popular human-environment interaction source of ancient Chinese Civilizations was the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. The Yellow River carried its rich silt from Mongolia all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Since the Yellow River would flood every year the Chinese had to figure out ways to control flooding. * The Taklamakan Desert served as a protective barrier for China because of its several species of poisonous snakes. As did the Himalayan mountains, not only physically but climatologically the Himalayas would experience extreme heat in the summer and extreme cold in the winter because of its inland geography. * The geography of ancient China, mostly mountains and deserts, has played a great role in protecting the civilization.
Culture:
* The Chinese believed in super natural forces that could help the rulers in worldly