Describe the unique features of the first Chinese dynasties

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

As in Mesopotamia and Egypt, China's royal tombs were filled with treasures—a vast array of ritual and grave goods that include silk fabrics, ceramic sculptures, jade artifacts, bronze vessels, and objects of personal adornment, from which we can learn about their society and culture.
During the Shang dynasty, a special group of priests had the responsibility for foretelling future events: whether the harvest would be bountiful, whether to declare or delay war, and so on. Shang diviners etched such questions with sharp tools on turtle shells and animal bones. These were then heated to produce cracks that the priests might read and interpret. This "oracle bone script" discloses intriguing details about weather, disease, and other routine topics relating to ancient Chinese life. The Chinese technique for writing script, known as calligraphy, eventually evolved to become an art form in itself. The characters of calligraphy grew to some 4,500 characters, many of which are still used today.
During the Zhou dynasty, rulers codified the Mandate of Heaven.The rebel Zhou clan justified their assault on the Shang by claiming that Shang kings had failed to rule virtuously and that Heaven (Tian) had withdrawn its mandate. Charged with maintaining the will of Heaven on earth, the king's political authority required obedience to established moral law, which, in turn, reflected the natural order.
Also at this time, the Chinese believed that nature determined human intelligence and ability, as well as the individual's proper place in society. An individual's place in society was somewhat flexible, and working for the government was one way a person could rise in status. The Chinese established the world's first system whereby individuals were selected for government service on the basis of merit and education. Written examinations tested the competence and skill of those who sought government office. Such a system persisted for centuries and became the basis for an aristocracy of merit that has characterized Chinese culture well into modern times.