1046 BC

Events in 1046 BC 2

• 1600 BC – 1046 BC Shang Dynasty First historically verified dynasty — oracle bones and bronze The Shang dynasty is the earliest Chinese dynasty confirmed by archaeological evidence. Its kings communicated with ancestors through oracle bone inscriptions — the earliest form of Chinese writing. The Shang excelled in bronze casting, producing ritual vessels of extraordinary craftsmanship. Their capital at Yin (modern Anyang) was excavated in the 20th century, revealing a sophisticated urban civilisation.
• 1046 BC – 256 BC Zhou Dynasty Longest dynasty — Confucius, Taoism and the Hundred Schools of Thought The Zhou dynasty lasted nearly 800 years — the longest in Chinese history. It introduced the Mandate of Heaven (Tianming), the doctrine that rulers govern by divine sanction and lose it through misrule. The later Eastern Zhou period, despite political fragmentation, was China's greatest intellectual age — producing Confucius, Laozi, Sun Tzu and dozens of competing philosophical schools.