1.7 million years ago, there were already people living in the land we now call China.
That's before Homo sapiens even existed. Way, way, before anything that looks like civilization.
Then… over an almost incomprehensible stretch of time… the descendants of these early beings built something that the rest of the world would eventually just call, China.
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
01:15 THE LAND & ITS EARLIEST PEOPLE
05:45 THE MYTHIC EMPERORS
09:25 THE XIA DYNASTY
14:56 THE SHANG DYNASTY
21:48 THE ZHOU DYNASTY
31:24 THE WARRING STATES PERIOD
36:01 Conclusion
SOURCES & REFERENCES
Loewe, Michael, and Edward L. Shaughnessy, eds. The Cambridge History of Ancient China: From the Origins of Civilization to 221 B.C. Cambridge University Press, 1999.
Chang, Kwang-chih. The Archaeology of Ancient China. Yale University Press, 4th ed. 1987. / Shang Civilization. Yale University Press, 1980.
Liu, Li. The Chinese Neolithic: Trajectories to Early States. Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Liu, Li. 'State emergence in early China.' Annual Review of Anthropology 38 (2009): 217–232.
Watson, Burton, trans. Records of the Grand Historian. Columbia University Press, 1993. [Translation of Sima Qian's Shiji]
Wang, Jianjun et al. 'Abrupt climate change near 4,400 yr BP on the cultural transition in Yuchisi, China and its global linkage.' Scientific Reports 6, 27723 (2016).
Chen, Ding. 'Xia Dynasty: Construction or History.' Sixth Tone, 2022.
UNESCO. Memory of the World: Chinese Oracle-Bone Inscriptions. (1400–1100 BCE).
World History Encyclopedia. 'Ancient China,' 'Xia Dynasty,' 'Shang Dynasty,' 'Zhou Dynasty,' 'Warring States Period.' worldhistory.org.
Mark, Joshua J., and Emily Mark. Multiple articles on Chinese dynastic history. World History Encyclopedia.
Wintle, Justin. China: A History. London, 2002. [cited for Erligang construction estimates and loess description]
Smarthistory. 'Oracle Bones, Shang Dynasty (Shanghai Museum).' smarthistory.org.
British Museum. Oracle Bone (Shang China, c.1200–1050 BCE). britishmuseum.org.
AI usage:
All video ideas and topics on this channel are created by me. AI is used as a tool to assist with research and script development and for voiceover. It’s also used to enhance historical images or paintings, transform them into video, and generate visuals for scenes where needed.
1.7 million years ago, there were already people living in the land we now call China.
That's before Homo sapiens even existed. Way, way, before anything that looks like civilization.
Then… over an almost incomprehensible stretch of time… the descendants of these early beings built something that the rest of the world would eventually just call, China.
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
01:15 THE LAND & ITS EARLIEST PEOPLE
05:45 THE MYTHIC EMPERORS
09:25 THE XIA DYNASTY
14:56 THE SHANG DYNASTY
21:48 THE ZHOU DYNASTY
31:24 THE WARRING STATES PERIOD
36:01 Conclusion
SOURCES & REFERENCES
Loewe, Michael, and Edward L. Shaughnessy, eds. The Cambridge History of Ancient China: From the Origins of Civilization to 221 B.C. Cambridge University Press, 1999.
Chang, Kwang-chih. The Archaeology of Ancient China. Yale University Press, 4th ed. 1987. / Shang Civilization. Yale University Press, 1980.
Liu, Li. The Chinese Neolithic: Trajectories to Early States. Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Liu, Li. 'State emergence in early China.' Annual Review of Anthropology 38 (2009): 217–232.
Watson, Burton, trans. Records of the Grand Historian. Columbia University Press, 1993. [Translation of Sima Qian's Shiji]
Wang, Jianjun et al. 'Abrupt climate change near 4,400 yr BP on the cultural transition in Yuchisi, China and its global linkage.' Scientific Reports 6, 27723 (2016).
Chen, Ding. 'Xia Dynasty: Construction or History.' Sixth Tone, 2022.
UNESCO. Memory of the World: Chinese Oracle-Bone Inscriptions. (1400–1100 BCE).
World History Encyclopedia. 'Ancient China,' 'Xia Dynasty,' 'Shang Dynasty,' 'Zhou Dynasty,' 'Warring States Period.' worldhistory.org.
Mark, Joshua J., and Emily Mark. Multiple articles on Chinese dynastic history. World History Encyclopedia.
Wintle, Justin. China: A History. London, 2002. [cited for Erligang construction estimates and loess description]
Smarthistory. 'Oracle Bones, Shang Dynasty (Shanghai Museum).' smarthistory.org.
British Museum. Oracle Bone (Shang China, c.1200–1050 BCE). britishmuseum.org.
AI usage:
All video ideas and topics on this channel are created by me. AI is used as a tool to assist with research and script development and for voiceover. It’s also used to enhance historical images or paintings, transform them into video, and generate visuals for scenes where needed.