Additional Practice

Refer to Source A from the earlier slides and answer the following question.

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Source A: A historian’s account of the Shang civilization.

The most striking picture of China in the Shang period is revealed by the big royal tombs discovered at Anyang between 1927 and 1936. They comprise a big rectangular grave on a north-south axis, with a smaller, deeper central grave. The royal coffin, made of wood, lay above the central grave, in which a dog has been sacrificed. Surrounding this grave were remains of men-at-arms, doubtless the companions and servants of the king – his chariot with its horses and their drivers, pottery bronze vases, and other objects of value.

Question: What does Source A tell you about the religious beliefs of the people of the Shang Civilisation?

Check your answer using the LORMS below.

LORMS

L1 Lifting from the source 1-2

The source tells me that the Shang people buried their king in big royal tombs which ‘comprise a big rectanglar grave on a north-south axis, with a smaller, deeper central grave’.

L2 Inference unsupported 2-3

The source tells me that the Shang people believed in life after death.

The source tells me that the people believed in the king being the mandate of heaven.

L3 Inference supported 4-5

The source tells me that the Shang people believed in life after death as ‘remains of men-at-arms, doubtless the companions and servants of the king – his chariot with its horses and their drivers, pottery bronze vases, and other objects of value’ were found buried together with the king. These people and things were buried together with the king in order to serve him in the afterlife.

The source tells me that the people believed in the king being the mandate of heaven. This can be supported by the source ‘north-south axis…..deep central grave……….central grave’ This shows that the king is the centre of the universe and is all powerful so that after his death he has to be looked after.