Hello future people of the UK!
I鈥檇 like to show you around Ancient China. But to do that you have to travel back in time.
Back before the Vikings, before the Romans and keep going back, back, back until Stonehenge is being built - 3500 years ago.
I鈥檓 on the other side of the world鈥 So go across Europe, across the Middle East, and all the way over to Eastern China. Down there in the Shang Empire, nestled by the Yellow River Valley.
Hi, I鈥檓 Li! And this is my Dad, Chen. Welcome to the Shang Empire鈥
Not again! "Excuse me, coming through!"
We鈥檝e got soldiers everywhere around these days 鈥 it鈥檚 a real nuisance.
I live way before the borders of China were drawn so we鈥檙e constantly at war with nomads, barbarians and other empires who want to take over, so we need lots of soldiers to keep our empire safe.
They鈥檙e led by clever military leaders and armed with advanced weapons so we鈥檝e been doing pretty well recently 鈥 We鈥檝e got spears, knives, chariots, arrows and amour, which makes us really tough to beat.
Some of them have survived to your time, and you can see they鈥檙e all made of bronze, which is why you call this period 鈥 you guessed it 鈥 the bronze age.
It might not look like it, but Dad and I are helping with the war effort too. In the back of our carriage is something that could change the outcome of some key battles, we just have to deliver it to the emperor鈥檚 palace.
We must be getting close, because here鈥檚 the market 鈥 this is where the artisans and craftsman sell their wares.
Rural farmers like us can鈥檛 afford any of this, of course. We have virtually no cowrie shells (that鈥檚 what we use for money)鈥 But people who work for the Emperor have loads!
The Emperor is the head of our Empire. He鈥檚 the latest in a long line of Emperors, who we believe originally descended from a God.
He and his helpers, mainly his relatives, make all the big decisions about our future in there: the palace city. We never get to go in there, but today we鈥檙e allowed to because we鈥檙e carrying such precious cargo.
Wait for it. Ta Dah - these are bones from an ox. I know what you鈥檙e thinking, what鈥檚 so important about an ox bone? Well, I鈥檒l show you鈥
That鈥檚 one of the Emperor鈥檚 wives, Fu Hao.
She鈥檚 really respected by the Emperor, which is rare for a woman in our time.
She鈥檚 using the bone to write on. In case you can鈥檛 read early Chinese. Let me help you.
These are questions to the Gods. Writing on a bone just like this one will become the earliest evidence of Chinese writing you have.
Writing means we can do loads of new things鈥
accounting,
planning,
love letters,
As well, of course, as talking to Gods!
And we have quite a few of those.
鈥楽hang Di鈥 is our supreme 鈥榞o-to鈥 God but we have lesser gods of the sun, the moon, the wind, the rain, and other natural forces too. We also worship our ancestors 鈥 phew, what a list!
I鈥檓 not sure who Fu Hao is writing to, but it looks as though they鈥檝e got back to her.
She put a hot rod into the bone and the shape of the fracture tells her the gods answer to the question. In this case the Gods agree that she should take a further 13,000 soldiers into battle. I told you that our Ox bone could help with the war effort.
Well, I鈥檓 glad finally saw some fortune telling, but if bones could really tell the future then we鈥檇 see that our civilization won鈥檛 last forever.
We will lose some really important battles and fall under the rule of a stronger empire. Different leaders will continue to fight each other for a good few thousand years until China becomes united into the country you know today.
And all this? Well, it鈥檒l be history.
Video summary
We follow Li, a farmer boy, and his father as they deliver some ox bones to the Shang Emperor's palace.
These oracle bones are used to foretell the future.
They are one of our main sources of information about the Shang Dynasty, who ruled part of China about 3,500 years ago.
We have also found lots of artefacts in tombs.
The Shang developed writing amongst other inventions.
This Bronze Age society developed a powerful army using bronze weapons.
This clip is from the series Lost Lands.
Teacher Notes
Could be used to explore Bronze Age culture, and contrast the Shang with Bronze Age Britain.
It could also be used to explore change, from Stone Age to Bronze Age.
Bronze weapons made the Shang powerful 鈥 how were they better than stone?
It could be used to help the students explore beliefs - how many gods did the Shang have, and how did they communicate with them? Why were the bones so important?
This clip is relevant for teaching History at Key Stage 2 and Second Level.
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