The fortuitous discovery of how to make this type of ceramic material also probably came during the Han Dynasty. The information and details inscribed onto oracle bones matched what was recorded in texts written centuries later, thereby providing the evidence scholars needed. 1250 BCE-ca. Fall of the Shang Dynasty Entrusted with an outpost to protect the western frontier of the kingdom, the Zhou army, lead by King Wu, marched on the capitol city. Stone material was scarce, so the security of cities was reinforced by large walls made of compacted earth. The Shang made many contributions to Chinese civilization, but four in particular define the dynasty: the invention of writing; the development of a stratified government; the advancement of bronze technology; and the use of the chariot and bronze weapons in warfare. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. With so little information, scholars questioned whether the dynasty even existed. . The Shang is the second dynasty of the Three Dynasties Period. but was well-developed by 1200 B.C. The dynasty fell after the first Shang king seized power. Developments and innovations from Chinese Antiquity - ThoughtCo The Shang also domesticated horses and developed the chariot, which gave them a massive military advantage over their opponents. It was where the Shang kings kept their most sacred ancestral temples, tablets, and regalia. It was such a revolutionary invention that it spread over the next several centuries across Asia to Europe, where it made it possible for medieval knights to ride their steeds in heavy armor without tumbling off. He is traditionally regarded as a tyrant and oppressor who brought about the collapse of a dynasty. The Shang Dynasty marked the middle of Chinas Bronze Age and was a dynasty that made great contributions to Chinese civilization. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Photo12/Universal Images Group/Getty Images, Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty Images, earliest scrap of paper still in existence, https://www.history.com/news/han-dynasty-inventions, 10 Inventions From Chinas Han Dynasty That Changed the World.