ABSTRACT
China. Information about this civilization is derived largely from the excavations made at Zhengzhou and nearby Anyang.
The Shang era is distinguished from earlier periods by its royalty's intense fascination with religious ritual, the ear liest verifiable use of Chinese script, the production of bronze vessels, and the employment of horse-drawn chariots and carriages. Evidence from those times indicates that China underwent a relatively smooth transition from the numerous Neolithic villages of early times to the Bronze Age of the Shang period. The civilization of the Shang period was marked by sedentary, inland farming; there was little waterborne commerce or interaction with other societies.
