LibGuides: Year 7: Ancient China: Xia &amp; Shang Dynasty

Web Links - Ducksters website

The Ducksters website is an educational site especially for kids and is a great source of introductory information for a topic. You can also opt to have the page read aloud to you, and do a quick quiz to check your understanding.

Ancient China: Xia Dynasty - Ducksters
Did it exist or was the Xia Dynasty a legend? What did it look like?
Ancient China: Shang Dynasty - Ducksters
Overview of the Shang Dynasty and its contributions of writing, system of government and bronze technology.

Web Links

The Xia Dynasty of Ancient China - ThoughtCo
This article discusses the debate of whether the Xia Dynasty was myth or reality, the legends of the Xia Dynasty and possible archeological sites of the Dynasty.
Xia Dynasty - Ancient History Encyclopedia
The Xia Dynasty, the flood of the Yellow River, Yu the Great, the decline of the Dynasty and the question of the Xia Dynasty as mythical.
Shang Dynasty - History.com
Overview of the Shang Dynasty, its achievements, cities of the Shang Dynasty, religion and graves during the Shang Dynasty and its downfall.
Shang Dynasty Civilisation - Khan Academy
Article about civilisation in the Shang Dynasty - an overview, writing and culture, technological innovation and exchange, power and social hierarchy and Shang religion.
The Shang Dynasty, 1600 to 1050 BCE - SPICE (Stanford)
Overview of the Shang Dynasty, including the invention of writing via oracle bones and what the bones tell us about Chinese civilisation at the time, and other significant contributions of the Shang Dynasty
Shang Dynasty - Ancient History Encyclopedia
Detailed information on the Shang Dynasty, including aspects such as the economy, craftmanship, religion, the Chinese calendar, writing and music.
Oracle Bones - British Museum
A series of slides about oracle bones in the development of writing and how they were used to divine the future.
Ceramics and Bronze in the Shang Dynasty - Lumen
Describes the advancements of bronze casting and pottery in the Shang Dynasty of The Bronze Age. It is followed by a description of bronze in the Zhou Dynasty.

Links to Example Library Articles

Xia Dynasty - Gale World History
Overview. If you are prompted to log in - select the Login with Microsoft Option (see Introduction tab)
Shang Dynasty, 1766 b.c.e.-1045 b.c.e. - Gale World History
Overview, Shang civilisation, Shang rulers and the fall of Shang.
Shang Dynasty - Britannica School
Overview, with a focus on artefacts.

Oracle Bones, Shang Dynasty

Smarthistory 2016. Oracle bone, Shang Dynasty. Online video, 9 October 2016. Duration: 4 mins.

What were the oracle bones and how were they used to help divine the future? What do they tell us about civilisation at the time? What do they tell us about the development of writing?

Bronze Casting, Shang Dynasty

HarvardX 2017. How Ancient Chinese bronzes were created. Online video, 20 April 2017. Duration: 3 mins.

China's First Dynasty

The SocialStudiesGuy 2017. China's first dynasty. Online video, 29 April 2017. Duration: 6 mins.