What is known about the Zhou and Shang dynasties of China?

The Zhou dynasty followed the Shang. After the discovery of bone matter by archaeologists and their evidence of the Shang dynasty really existing, there is the use of bronze, chopsticks, jade, silk, spices, oracle bones, and a system of writing to consider.

These were all so far in advance of the workings of the western world. As for the Zhou, who co-existed with the Shang for a long time, they built roads and canals for better trade and travel, were interested in the sciences, especially astronomy. Literature flourished amongst the feudal lords/ It was a place of rich nobles and poor farmers.

The zhou dynasty co-existed with the Shang dynasty. It was the longest period in Chinese history, some eight centuries, that a rule existed. It is mainly thought now that the start of the dynasty at 1046 bce. This is as result of archaeological discoveries putting the dynasty back earlier than had been thought before.

The dynasty ended in 256 bce. It is believed that it was the Zhou dynasty that established the distinctive political and cultural characteristics that we identify with China for the next two millennia.

There was both friendly cooperationg and competition and war between Zhou and Shang forces from time to time but after the last battle, the Zhou created various feudal states within the empire to maintain order and safeguard the emperor’s hold on the land. The original Zhou capital was located near present-day Xi’an in Shaanxi on the Wei River.