The Shang Dynasty ruled China from around 1750-1050 BCE. Some key developments during this period included the emergence of bronze technology, the beginning of China's written language system through oracle bones, and the establishment of a centralized government, urban communities, and social classes. Rituals focused on venerating ancestors and the supreme god Shangdi played an important role in Shang culture and politics. The Shang was an advanced agricultural society with sophisticated arts, calendar systems, and trade in cowrie shells.