Definitions for "Shang dynasty"
the imperial dynasty ruling China from the 1700s BC to the 1100s BC
the imperial dynasty ruling China from about the 18th to the 12th centuries BC
1600– 1050 B.C.) dynasty that marks the first great flourishing of Bronze-Age China. Materials recovered from this period include ceremonial bronze vessels and jade implements. Early Chinese writing from the Shang dynasty has also been recovered, in the form of inscriptions on oracle bones used for divination ceremonies.