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China THE ANCIENT DYNASTIES
Chinese civilization, as described in mythology, begins with
Pangu, the creator of the universe, and a succession of legendary
sage-emperors and culture heroes who taught the ancient Chinese to
communicate and to find sustenance, clothing, and shelter. The
first prehistoric dynasty is said to be Xia, from about the twentyfirst to the sixteenth century B.C. Until scientific excavations
were made at early bronze-age sites at Anyang, Henan Province, in
1928, it was difficult to separate myth from reality in regard to
the Xia. But since then, and especially in the 1960s and 1970s,
archaeologists have uncovered urban sites, bronze implements, and
tombs that point to the existence of Xia civilization in the same
locations cited in ancient Chinese historical texts. At minimum,
the Xia period marked an evolutionary stage between the late
neolithic cultures and the typical Chinese urban civilization of
the Shang dynasty.
Data as of July 1987
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