• Ancient China 1500 BC

By this date, a literate civilization has appeared in northern China, in the Yellow River valley. This is a development of huge importance for world history. Many of the basic features of later Chinese civilization are already in place by this date: ancestor worship, the Chinese script, and the first of a long succession of historic dynasties. There is evidence of a wide network of trade routes radiating outwards from the Shang core area, into central Asia and southern China, and along these routes Shang techniques and artistic motifs are being communicated over a large area.

From this ancient period, the history of Chinese civilization will unfold without break until the 20th century.

Related Timelines:
Timeline of World History

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