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A line of hereditary Shang kings ruled over much of northern China, and Shang troops fought frequent wars with neighboring settlements and nomadic herdsmen from the inner Asian [[steppe]]s. The capitals, particularly that in Yin, were centers of glittering court life. Court rituals to propitiate spirits developed. In addition to his secular position, the king was the head of the [[ancestor worship|ancestor-]] and spirit-worship cult. The king often performed oracle bone divinations himself, especially near the end of the dynasty. Evidence from the royal tombs indicates that royal personages were buried with articles of value, presumably for use in the afterlife. Perhaps for the same reason, hundreds of commoners, who may have been [[Slavery|slave]]s, were buried alive with the royal corpse.
The Shang dynasty had a fully developed system of writing; its complexity and state of development indicates an earlier period of development, which is still unattested. Iron casting and pottery also advanced in Shang culture. In astronomy, the Shang astronomers discovered Mars and various comets. Many musical instruments were also invented at that time for
[[Image:Gu_wine_vessel_from_the_Shang_Dynasty.jpg|thumb|right|This bronze ritual wine vessel, dating from the Shang Dynasty in the [[13th century BC]], is housed at the [[Arthur M. Sackler Gallery]] of the [[Smithsonian Institution]].]]
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