The Shang And Zhou Documents Essay Research free essay sample

The Shang And Zhou Documents Essay, Research Paper How do we cognize what we know about the Shang and Zhou civilizations? The information and cognition that archaeologists and historiographers have gathered about the Shang and Zhou civilizations come from archeological sites every bit good as from ancient actual texts. The two largest sites for the Shang civilization are the Zhengzhou and the Anyang sites. At Zhengzhou, there was a wall environing the capital metropolis which ran 2385 foot long, 30 foot high and 60 foots broad ( the monolithic size of the wall indicates that the Shang civilizations had the ability to non merely form and use big groups of labour forces but besides to mobilise them for long periods of clip, as needed to construct such a wall ) . Oracle castanetss revealed the beliefs and happenings of the civilizations. They were used by the male monarch and diviners as a ways of communicating between themselves and the higher existences ( the male monarch would inquire the liquors inquiries about the hereafter or a current job and the reply would steer him in his determination or explica te an event ) . We will write a custom essay sample on The Shang And Zhou Documents Essay Research or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These inquiries, replies and O utcomes would be recorded on the tortoise shells or on the shoulder bones of oxen, showing the occurrences of crop failures, royal births or wars and invasion of outsiders which threatened the peace. The tombs of royals also show the belief of life after death in both the Shang and the Zhou cultures. The tombs of royal Shang kings contain not only vessels and bronze axes but also evidence of live burials (although in the Zhou periods, live burials were increasingly replaced by human statues rather than actual humans). The ancient text of the Classic of Documents show how the Zhou believed in the concept of a Mandate from Heaven (perhaps a way of justifying their overthrowing of the Shang culture). The Mandate states that a heaven chooses and empowers a ruler with the right to rule on the condition that he is righteous and wise in his handlings of administrative duties as well as in his treatment of his subjects (as well as practicing religion devotedly). However, if the leader viol ates these conditions, heaven will take away his right to rule by giving power to a new ruling family.