﻿FAR 
  EASTERN 
  CIVILIZATIONS 
  — 
  BISHOP 
  481 
  

  

  found 
  in 
  China 
  it 
  is 
  of 
  an 
  entirely 
  different 
  type. 
  The 
  Shang 
  potters 
  

   also 
  made 
  fine 
  white 
  ware, 
  neither 
  glazed 
  nor 
  painted 
  but 
  bearing 
  

   incised 
  or 
  impressed 
  on 
  its 
  surface 
  designs 
  identical 
  with 
  those 
  on 
  

   the 
  bronze 
  ritual 
  vessels 
  just 
  mentioned. 
  

  

  Among 
  all 
  these 
  types 
  of 
  earthenware 
  there 
  appeared 
  a 
  wide 
  

   variety 
  of 
  forms, 
  shapes, 
  and 
  sizes, 
  many 
  of 
  them 
  being 
  represented 
  

   in 
  bronze 
  also. 
  

  

  Textiles. 
  — 
  Both 
  hemp 
  and 
  silk 
  were 
  woven 
  into 
  cloth 
  during 
  

   Shang 
  times. 
  Hemp, 
  we 
  may 
  note, 
  occupied 
  the 
  place 
  in 
  ancient 
  

   China 
  held 
  in 
  the 
  Occident 
  by 
  flax 
  and 
  its 
  derivative, 
  linen. 
  Matting 
  

   and 
  basketry 
  were 
  also 
  woven. 
  

  

  Decorative 
  arts. 
  — 
  Carving, 
  sometimes 
  of 
  very 
  fine 
  quality, 
  was 
  done 
  

   in 
  stone, 
  ivory, 
  and 
  probably 
  wood. 
  Both 
  bone 
  and 
  bronze 
  objects 
  

   were 
  inlaid 
  with 
  turquoise 
  or 
  mother-of-pearl. 
  The 
  Shangs 
  also 
  did 
  

   considerable 
  carving 
  of 
  jade, 
  probably 
  then 
  as 
  later 
  believed 
  to 
  possess 
  

   magical 
  significance. 
  

  

  Weapons 
  and 
  implements. 
  — 
  The 
  weapons 
  used 
  in 
  Shang 
  times 
  were 
  

   as 
  a 
  rule 
  of 
  bronze. 
  Socketed 
  spears 
  were 
  known, 
  and 
  there 
  were 
  also 
  

   two 
  distinct 
  types 
  of 
  battle-axes, 
  each 
  with 
  its 
  own 
  method 
  of 
  haf 
  ting. 
  

   Arrow 
  points 
  of 
  bronze, 
  stone, 
  and 
  bone 
  were 
  also 
  used. 
  The 
  bronze 
  

   sword 
  did 
  not 
  appear 
  in 
  China 
  until 
  very 
  late 
  — 
  not, 
  in 
  fact, 
  until 
  the 
  

   Shang 
  period 
  had 
  closed. 
  

  

  Needles 
  of 
  bronze 
  and 
  of 
  bone 
  are 
  also 
  known, 
  and 
  knives 
  and 
  chisels 
  

   were 
  of 
  bronze 
  or 
  stone. 
  Agricultural 
  tools 
  of 
  bronze 
  are 
  however 
  

   almost 
  entirely 
  lacking; 
  for 
  that 
  metal 
  was 
  always 
  costly 
  and 
  was 
  

   probably 
  reserved 
  almost 
  exclusively 
  for 
  purposes 
  of 
  religion, 
  luxury, 
  

   and 
  war. 
  

  

  Warfare. 
  — 
  Among 
  the 
  causes 
  of 
  war 
  mentioned 
  in 
  the 
  Shang 
  inscrip- 
  

   tions 
  are 
  border 
  raids 
  and 
  encroachments 
  on 
  grazing 
  grounds. 
  There 
  

   was 
  also 
  the 
  recurring 
  need 
  to 
  enforce 
  the 
  authority 
  of 
  the 
  Shang 
  

   king 
  over 
  the 
  subject 
  states 
  that 
  withheld 
  tribute 
  and 
  submission 
  ; 
  and 
  

   expeditions 
  were 
  made 
  against 
  non-Chinese 
  people 
  for 
  plunder 
  and 
  

   captives. 
  

  

  Armies 
  are 
  recorded 
  as 
  numbering 
  from 
  3,000 
  to 
  5,000 
  men, 
  and 
  the 
  

   main 
  reliance 
  in 
  fighting 
  was 
  on 
  the 
  chariot, 
  drawn, 
  just 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  

   ancient 
  Near 
  East, 
  by 
  two 
  horses 
  yoked 
  — 
  not 
  harnessed 
  — 
  abreast. 
  

   Slaves 
  and 
  captives 
  were 
  employed 
  as 
  foot 
  soldiers, 
  as 
  were 
  also 
  prob- 
  

   ably 
  levies 
  of 
  peasants. 
  Weapons 
  used 
  by 
  the 
  charioteers 
  were, 
  as 
  far 
  

   as 
  we 
  know, 
  bronze 
  battle-axes 
  and 
  spears 
  and 
  the 
  composite 
  bow 
  — 
  

   the 
  latter 
  a 
  weapon 
  of 
  circumpolar 
  distribution. 
  How 
  the 
  foot 
  soldiers 
  

   were 
  armed, 
  we 
  do 
  not 
  know. 
  

  

  Hunting. 
  — 
  Hunting 
  played 
  an 
  important 
  role 
  during 
  Shang 
  times. 
  

   Many 
  products 
  of 
  the 
  chase 
  were 
  utilized, 
  as 
  for 
  example 
  ivory, 
  hides, 
  

   horns, 
  and 
  plumes. 
  Great 
  organized 
  battues 
  were 
  periodically 
  held 
  by 
  

  

  