History

Main articles: History of China and Timeline of Chinese history

History of China
ANCIENT
Neolithic c. 8500 – c. 2070 BCE
Xia dynasty c. 2070 – c. 1600 BCE
Shang dynasty c. 1600 – c. 1046 BCE
Zhou dynasty c. 1046 – 256 BCE
Western Zhou
Eastern Zhou
Spring and Autumn
Warring States
IMPERIAL
Qin dynasty 221–206 BCE
Han dynasty 206 BCE – 220 CE
Western Han
Xin dynasty
Eastern Han
Three Kingdoms 220–280
Wei, Shu and Wu
Jin dynasty 265–420
Western Jin
Eastern Jin	Sixteen Kingdoms
Northern and Southern dynasties 420–589
Sui dynasty 581–618
Tang dynasty 618–907
(Second Zhou dynasty 690–705)
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 907–960	Liao dynasty 907–1125
Song dynasty 960–1279
Northern Song		Western Xia
Southern Song	Jin
Yuan dynasty 1271–1368
Ming dynasty 1368–1644
Qing dynasty 1644–1912
MODERN
Republic of China 1912–1949
People's Republic of China 1949–present	Republic of China (Taiwan) 1949–present
Related articles [show]
This box: view talk edit

Prehistory

Main article: Chinese prehistory

Archaeological evidence suggests that early hominids inhabited China between 2.24 million and 250,000 years ago.^[42] The hominid fossils of Peking Man, a Homo erectus who used fire,^[43] were discovered in a cave at Zhoukoudian near Beijing; they have been dated to between 680,000 and 780,000 years ago.^[44] The fossilized teeth of Homo sapiens (dated to 125,000–80,000 years ago) have been discovered in Fuyan Cave in Dao County, Hunan.^[45] Chinese proto-writing existed in Jiahu around 7000 BCE,^[46] Damaidi around 6000 BCE,^[47] Dadiwan from 5800–5400 BCE, and Banpo dating from the 5th millennium BCE. Some scholars have suggested that the Jiahu symbols (7th millennium BCE) constituted the earliest Chinese writing system.^[46]

Early dynastic rule

Further information: Dynasties in Chinese history

Yinxu, the ruins of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (14th century BCE)

According to Chinese tradition, the first dynasty was the Xia, which emerged around 2100 BCE.^[48] The dynasty was considered mythical by historians until scientific excavations found early Bronze Age sites at Erlitou, Henan in 1959.^[49] It remains unclear whether these sites are the remains of the Xia dynasty or of another culture from the same period.^[50] The succeeding Shang dynasty is the earliest to be confirmed by contemporary records.^[51] The Shang ruled the plain of the Yellow River in eastern China from the 17th to the 11th century BCE.^[52] Their oracle bone script (from c. 1500 BCE)^[53][54] represents the oldest form of Chinese writing yet found,^[55] and is a direct ancestor of modern Chinese characters.^[56] The Shang were conquered by the Zhou, who ruled between the 11th and 5th centuries BCE, though centralized authority was slowly eroded by feudal warlords. Many independent states eventually emerged from the weakened Zhou state and continually waged war with each other in the 300-year Spring and Autumn period, only occasionally deferring to the Zhou king. By the time of the Warring States period of the 5th–3rd centuries BCE, there were seven powerful sovereign states in what is now China, each with its own king, ministry and army.