Earliest Cultures and Xia and Shang Dynasties

We call the first significant known culture the Yang Shao because of Yellow River-based archaeological finds there and thereabouts. The richest Neolithic burial (perhaps of a religion-based tribal ruler) that has been discovered is at Dawenkou. The Dawenkou culture (also based around the northern Yellow River) co-existed with the Yang Shao.

The second cycle in the dynastic cycle view as I'm outlining it (and the first with an official presumed actual named dynasty) is that of the Xia which may have had a capital city at Erlitou.

With the coming of the Shang dynasty we finally begin to have more information. We have at least one burial of an apparent ruler of this dynasty at which others were apparently sacrificed in order to be buried with the presumed ruler. We also have sophisticated bronzes depicting animals that are now exotic animals to China but which then may have been native. Leaving such items as grave-goods is a presumed indicator of great status.

Some of the animals depicted may be mythical and also their depicted relation to humans may indicate the existence of shamanistic practices using animal ‘familiars’ as 'spirit guides' of some form. The Chinese word for shaman (dating at least from the Shang period) is wu (巫). The first known Chinese writing appears to be from this period. It was evidently used in divining and written on the shoulder bones of cows. From an early date, burning holes in or cracking or chiselling or making grooves in bones evidently provided answers to questions inscribed on the bones. The answers would then also be written on the bones. Each bone could contain several questions and answers. Tortoise shells and sheep shoulder bones were also used. The answers were supposed to have been dispensed by dead ancestors. Specialised diviners were apparently used.

That's about the most that can be said about this period with any degree of confidence at all but the Zhou era which is coming up is another story.