The Shang (1766–1045 BCE) is the earliest Chinese dynasty for which any significant archaeological documentation exists, placing it at the historical forefront of the Chinese cultural sphere. It is true that evidence of a prior dynasty, known in...

Remnants of advanced, stratified societies dating back to the Shang period have been found in the Yellow River Valley. The Shang Dynasty (Chinese: 商朝) or Yin Dynasty (殷代) (ca. 1600 BC - ca. 1046 BC) is the second historic Chinese dynasty and...

DON'T COUNT on what feels real today, a Pirandello character warns, for by tomorrow all reality will slip into illusion. Ntozake Shange seems to work the other way around: She pulls illusions from her grab bag one by one to build a time and...

The Shang state (c. mid 16th or mid 18th century BC-1046 BC) established its last capital near the modern city of Anyang. The capital site in Anyang was historically known as Yinxu, 'the Ruins of Yin' (FIGURE 1) because Yin was referred to...

The bronze bowl seems unremarkable until you study it from above. Then, the shallow basin suddenly seems to teem with life: etchings of tiny tadpoles, turtles and fish wriggle across the bottom and up the sides, as if trapped in a real-life pond.The bowl, which...