Yellow River Valley
The reason the Shang people built their civilization in the Yellow River Valley was because of the type of soil located there, which was called loess. Loess came from the Yellow River and was very fertile soil perfect for growing crops with. This very fertile soil not only helped the Shang Dynasty become a heavily agricultural centered society but assisted in the growth of future Chinese civilizations.The rich soil from the Yellow River helps Chinese society grow even today.
Geographical Barriers
The Shang dynasty had little geographical barriers which made it susceptible to invasions. To the west there were a few plateaus and basins but nothing major like a mountain range to protect from invasions. The north and south of the territory owned by the Shang Dynasty was relatively flat and mainly consisted of plains. The east was the only direction in which the Shang people were truly protected. The Yellow Sea formed the border to the east of the Shang territory so they were safe from any land invaders and not until later when sailing and maritime activities became prevalent were they susceptible to invasion from the east. Because of the little geographic barriers they had, the Shang Dynasty was afflicted with constant raids and invasions from Indo-European nomads.
Architecture
Oftentimes the architecture depended on the type of terrain and topography of the area, with crammed tight buildings in cities and large palaces and plantations in the country side.
Most of the Shang people lived in similar structures as shown to
the left in terms of construction. It consisted of a flattened earthen floor as the base, wattle and maud for the walls, and roofs of thatch branches. It was a simple concept but it got the job done for farmer's everyday life in ancient China. |