Shang dynasty economy and long-distance trade networks (c. 1600–1046 BCE)

1. Shang dynasty ends after Zhou victory at Muye

   Jan 1, 1046Labels: Battle of, Zhou dynasty, Shang dynasty

   • Britannica
   • Britannica

2. Shang trade links persist beyond southern outpost declines

   Jan 1, 1200Labels: Erligang network, Central Plains, Yangtze region

   • Antiquity

3. Oracle-bone inscriptions document administrative-ritual mobilization

   Jan 1, 1250Labels: Oracle bones, Yinxu, Shang administration

   • UNESCO
   • Britannica

4. Cowrie shells used as currency and store of value

   Jan 1, 1250Labels: Cowrie shells, Anyang, Shang elites

   • Britannica
   • Britannica

5. Bronze imitation cowries appear at Yinxu

   Jan 1, 1250Labels: Bronze cowries, Yinxu

   • Henan Museum

6. Debates intensify on sources of Shang lead and tin

   Jan 1, 1250Labels: Lead isotopes, Shang metallurgy

   • Sci Rep 2016
   • JAS 2024

7. Capital established at Yin (Yinxu) near Anyang

   Jan 1, 1300Labels: Yin Yinxu, Anyang

   • UNESCO
   • Britannica

8. Long-distance copper procurement supports bronze industries

   Jan 1, 1300Labels: Copper procurement, Middle Yangtze

   • JAS 2024
   • Britannica

9. Uniform bronze styles signal wide elite exchange networks

   Jan 1, 1400Labels: Bronze styles, Elite exchange

   • Britannica

10. Panlongcheng outpost extends Shang reach southward

    Jan 1, 1500Labels: Panlongcheng, Erligang outpost

    • Britannica
    • Panlongcheng

11. Rammed-earth wall and workshops at Erligang Zhengzhou

    Jan 1, 1550Labels: Erligang Zhengzhou, Rammed-earth wall, Workshops

    • Erligang
    • Britannica

12. Erligang urban center develops at Zhengzhou

    Jan 1, 1600Labels: Erligang urban, Zhengzhou

    • Britannica
    • Erligang