Home Region: North China (East Asia)

Late Shang

1250 BCE 1045 BCE

D G SC WF R CC

EQ 2020 cn_late_shang_dyn / CnShang

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

[continuity; Erligang period] [continuity] Update here

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.

1122 BCE 771 BCE Western Zhou (cn_western_zhou_dyn) [elite replacement]

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General Description

The Late Shang Dynasty (1250-1045 BCE) was an extension of the Erligang culture based in Yinxu, near modern Anyang. The Late Shang were the last 12 kings of the dynasty, beginning with Pan Geng. Unlike in Erligang settlements, pottery, oracle bones and other artefacts showing a fully formed writing system have been found at Late Shang sites. This system included ’pictograms, ideograms, and phonograms’. ^[1] The oldest written records uncovered from Shang contexts date back to 1200 BCE. ^[1]
The civilization at Yinxu is considered to represent the golden age of the Shang Dynasty ^[2] and 11 major royal tombs have been uncovered there by archaeologists. ^[2] Pottery and bronze and jade work flourished in the Late Shang period. ^[3] The Late Shang also had a developed calendar system with 30 days in a month and 12 months (360 days) in a year. ^[4]
Population and political organization
The Late Shang were based on the North China Plain. The dynasty’s territory stretched north to modern Shandong, south to Hebei, and west to Henan. ^[5] The Shang government was a feudal system in which the king and a class of military nobility ruled over the masses, who were mainly farmers. ^[6] Shang kings also served as high priests. ^[7] The Late Shang were in constant conflict with surrounding settlements and with civilizations from the steppe. ^[8]
The population of the Late Shang Dynasty was around 5 million in 1045 BCE. ^[9] The population of the Yinxu settlement in Anyang is unknown.

[1]: (San 2014, 19) San, Tan Koon. 2014. Dynastic China: An Elementary History. Malaysia: The Other Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TB95WB7F.

[2]: (San 2014, 17) San, Tan Koon. 2014. Dynastic China: An Elementary History. Malaysia: The Other Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TB95WB7F.

[3]: (San 2014, 20) San, Tan Koon. 2014. Dynastic China: An Elementary History. Malaysia: The Other Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TB95WB7F.

[4]: (Encyclopedia Britannica 2017) “Shang Dynasty.” Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shang-dynasty Accessed May 29, 2017. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/8GNFD4WH.

[5]: (San 2014, 16) San, Tan Koon. 2014. Dynastic China: An Elementary History. Malaysia: The Other Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TB95WB7F.

[6]: (San 2014, 16, 21) San, Tan Koon. 2014. Dynastic China: An Elementary History. Malaysia: The Other Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TB95WB7F.

[7]: (San 2014, 16) San, Tan Koon. 2014. Dynastic China: An Elementary History. Malaysia: The Other Press. https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TB95WB7F)

[8]: (San 2014, 21) San, Tan Koon. 2014. Dynastic China: An Elementary History. Malaysia: The Other Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TB95WB7F.

[9]: (McEvedy and Jones 1978, 170-72) McEvedy, Colin, and Richard Jones. 1978. Atlas of World Population History. Penguin. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/6U4QZXCG/q/atlas%20of%20world%20population.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

2 Capital

1 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Scale of Supracultural Interaction

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

2 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

1 Language

Religion

1 Religion Genus

1 Religion Family

1 Alternate Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Non Phonetic Writing

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

1 Store Of Wealth

1 Debt And Credit Structure

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

1 Geometrical Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases

1 Crisis Consequence

Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

Instability Events Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn) was in:
(1250 BCE 1046 BCE)	Middle Yellow River Valley

Home NGA: Middle Yellow River Valley

General Variables

Identity and Location Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	50 S	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Original Name	Late Shang	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Capital	Shang	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Capital	Yin	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Alternative Name	Anyang Period	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Temporal Bounds Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	1200 BCE
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Duration	[1250 BCE ➜ 1045 BCE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	vassalage to [---]	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Supracultural Entity	China	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Succeeding Entity	Western Zhou	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Scale of Supracultural Interaction	1,000,000 km²	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Succeeding Entity 1122 BCE 771 BCE	Western Zhou (cn_western_zhou_dyn) [elite replacement]
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Preceding Entity	continuity; Erligang period [continuity] Update here
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Degree of Centralization	unitary state	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Language Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Sino-Tibetan	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Language	Chinese	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Religion Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Religion Genus	Chinese State Religion	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Religion Family	Shang Religion	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Alternate Religion	Uncoded Undecided	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	4,000 people	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Polity Territory	1,000,000 km²	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Polity Population	5,000,000 people	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	3	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Religious Level	3	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Military Level	[4 to 5]	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Administrative Level	[4 to 5]	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Professions Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Professional Priesthood	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Professional Military Officer	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Merit Promotion	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Examination System	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Law Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Uncoded Undecided	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Judge	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Formal Legal Code	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Court	Uncoded Undecided	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Irrigation System	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Food Storage Site	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Transport Infrastructure Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Port	Uncoded Undecided	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Canal	Uncoded Undecided	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Bridge	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Special-purpose Sites Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Information / Writing System Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Script	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Nonwritten Record	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Non Phonetic Writing	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Sacred Text	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Religious Literature	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Practical Literature	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Philosophy	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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History	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Fiction	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Calendar	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Information / Money Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Precious Metal	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Paper Currency	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Indigenous Coin	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Foreign Coin	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Article	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Store Of Wealth	Uncoded Undecided	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Debt And Credit Structure	Uncoded Undecided	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Information / Postal System Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Uncoded Undecided	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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General Postal Service	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Courier	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Information / Measurement System Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Geometrical Measurement System	Uncoded Undecided	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Moat	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Earth Rampart	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Ditch	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Complex Fortification	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Long Wall	absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Military use of Metals Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Iron	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Copper	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Bronze	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Projectiles Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Sling	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Self Bow	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Javelin	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Crossbow	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Composite Bow	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Atlatl	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Handheld weapons Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Sword	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Spear	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Polearm	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Dagger	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Battle Axe	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Animals used in warfare Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Elephant	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Donkey	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Dog	Unknown Suspected	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Armor Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Shield	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Scaled Armor	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Plate Armor	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Limb Protection	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Leather Cloth	Present Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Laminar Armor	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Helmet	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Chainmail	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Breastplate	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Naval technology Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Absent Inferred	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent	1250 BCE 1045 BCE
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Human Sacrifice Late Shang (cn_late_shang_dyn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More