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...

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...