Name: Leonard Thiam Chuan Fu
Class, School: 1E3, Bedok view sec

What happened to shang dynasty c.1150 BCE?
Our understanding of Shang society contains many gaps, and historians do not even agree on the dynasty's exact terminal dates, but a common estimation is 1766 Shang society was highly stratified according to occupation and hereditary rank. At the top was a king, served by an aristocratic class. Under the rule of the king and aristocracy were numerous peasants and artisans, who paid a share of their produce as taxes. We can speak of Shang China as an empire comprising much of the Yellow River area (*see map*). This empire contained several large cities, the center of each containing large buildings, sacrificial alters, storehouses, and other structures. Buildings in these cities had pounded-earth foundations into which were set large stones or bronze castings to support wooden pillars. Beyond these cities, the boundaries of the empire were not clearly defined, and the Shang king had to spend much of his time waging war in outlying areas to maintain control of his territory.BCE-1127 BCE.