Chinese antiquity
The Chinese antiquity ( Chinese 中國 上古 時代 / 中国 上古 时代 , Pinyin Zhōngguó Shànggǔ Shídài ) is not clearly defined in terms of time. It is often counted from the Shang dynasty (approx. 1500 BC ) to the end of the Han dynasty (220 AD ).
prehistory
Little is known about the earliest dynasties in Chinese history . One of the reasons for this is that during the Qin Dynasty at the time of Emperor Qin Shihuangdi (246–209 BC) most of the records from earlier times were burned.
The oldest stories tell of an emperor Yao , whose successor was Shun . The accounts of Yao are mainly mythical in nature. They have similar elements to the myths of antiquity , which is why some researchers suspect a common true core. In the " Book of Documents " ( pinyin Shūjīng ), one of the oldest Chinese chronicles, it is reported, among other things, that Yao ordered scholars to redetermine the cardinal points and correct the calendar dates.
Shun ruled at the beginning of the Three Dynasties . Yu, the son of Shun, proved his worth in fighting a massive flood and became the next emperor. The Xia dynasty is named after him.
The Xia dynasty was followed by the Shang dynasty, with which ancient Chinese began.
See also
literature
- James Legge : The Shoo King: English and Chinese (Chinese Classics) , Publisher: SMC Publishing Inc, Dec. 31, 2000, ISBN 957-638-040-5 (English)