How China’s first 3 dynasties shaped Chinese culture and society, from writing to religion

To understand Chinese culture, it is necessary to go back to the very beginning of its civilisation. In this series, we look at the most influential dynasties in Chinese history and how each, with its technological inventions and cultural advancements, helped propel the nation forward.

Ancient China is one of the six cradles of early civilisation, alongside Mesoamerica, the ancient Andes, Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt and ancient India. The civilisations of these places laid the foundation for later cultures and society as we know it today, from farming systems and language to social norms, entertainment and cuisine.

The beginnings of ancient China are widely considered to be its first three dynasties, the Xia, Shang and Zhou, which existed around 4,000 years ago. They are often referenced together in traditional Chinese historiography.

The Chinese government’s 1996 to 2002 “Xia-Shang-Zhou Chronology Project” estimated the Xia, the first of the three dynasties, to have lasted from 2070BC to 1600BC and linked it to Erlitou culture – a Bronze Age Chinese society that existed from around 1900BC to 1500BC.

However, there is no surviving archaeological evidence to support the existence of Xia, with knowledge of it passed down through word of mouth. Some historians argue that it might never have existed at all, as retrospective ancient texts recorded it with many obvious legends and myths.