Shang Tomb Artifact A

Use Decoder A
P l a c a r d

1. What is this object made of?

A

A. marble

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

B. wood
C. clay
D. bronze

2. How was this object used?

A. to fight an enemy
B. to contain fire for warming a room
C. to hold liquid during religious
ceremonies
D. to grind grain into flour

3. The design below shows a mythological

animal. What parts of the animal can
you see?
A. eyes
B. horns
C. nose
D. all of the above

The Shang Dynasty  1

 Shang Tomb Artifact B
Use Decoder B

1. What is this object?

P l a c a r d

A. the head of an ax
B

B. a dagger

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

C. a plow blade
D. a statue

2. Who owned this object?

A. a farmer
B. a king
C. a slave
D. an artisan

3. What was this object used for?

A. to plow fields
B. to clear forests
C. to bring its owner good luck
D. to kill sacrificial victims

The Shang Dynasty  2

 Shang Tomb Artifact C
Use Decoder C

1. What is this object made of?

P l a c a r d

A. wood
C

B. clay

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

C. animal hides
D. bronze

2. When would this object be used?

A. during a religious ceremony
B. during a hunting party
C. during a sporting event
D. during a war

3. Who might make this object?

A. an artisan
B. a soldier
C. a farmer
D. a noble

The Shang Dynasty  3

 Shang Tomb Artifact D
Use Decoder D

1. What are these objects?

P l a c a r d

A. cowrie shells
D

B. oyster shells

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

C. shrimp
D. rocks

2. How did the Shang obtain these

objects?
A. trading with neighboring regions
B. fishing in the ocean
C. mining in the mountains
D. growing them on farmland

3. What did the Shang use these

objects for?
A. sports
B. money
C. jewelry
D. food

The Shang Dynasty  4

 Shang Tomb Artifact E

Use Decoder E
P l a c a r d

1. What made these

E

indentations?

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

A. animals
B. weapons
C. shields
D. wheels

2. What type of animal

was tied to this bar?
A. a camel
B. a cow
C. a dog
D. a horse

3. Who stood here?

A. Shang warriors
B. Shang farmers
C. Shang women
D. Shang priests

The Shang Dynasty  5

 Shang Tomb Artifact F
Use Decoder F

1. What were these objects made of?

P l a c a r d

A. stone
F

B. bronze

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

C. clay
D. jade

2. What were these objects used for?

A. to injure an enemy
B. to overturn soil
C. to carve jade
D. to produce a musical note

3. Who used these objects?

A. artisans
B. merchants
C. farmers
D. soldiers

The Shang Dynasty  6

 Shang Tomb Artifact G
Use Decoder G

1. What is this object made of?

P l a c a r d

A. clay
G

B. bone

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

C. jade
D. wood

2. What are the marks on this object?

A. decorative designs
B. symbols representing words
C. musical notes
D. good-luck charms

3. Why were these marks important to

Shang people?
A. They made this object holy.
B. They showed an artisan’s skills.
C. They were a study tool for students.
D. They were a common written
language.

The Shang Dynasty  7

 Shang Tomb Artifact H
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
Use Decoder H
1. What types of skeletons are these?
A. ox C. horse
B. dog D. human
2. What is missing from these skeletons?
A. arms C. heads
B. feet D. legs
The Shang Dynasty  8
P l a c a r d
H
3. Why are the skeletons incomplete?
A. They are the bodies of injured warriors.
B. They are the bodies of sacrificed people.
C. Some skeleton parts decomposed faster
than others.
D. Some skeleton parts were studied by
Shang priests.