Religion

The Shang worshipped the "Shang Ti." As this god ruled as a supreme god over lesser gods, the sun, the moon, the wind, the rain, and other natural forces and places, ancestor worship became a part of the Shang religion. Sacrifice to the gods and the ancestors were also a major part of the Shang religion. When a king died, hundreds of slaves and prisoners were often sacrificed and buried with him. People were also sacrificed in lower numbers when important events, such as the founding of a palace or temple, occurred.

The Shang king had considerable power over his subjects. Public works were built that needed many people. The capital at Zhengzhou, for instance, had a wall of stamped earth around it that was four miles long and up to 27 feet high in areas. Stamped earth walls were made by pounding thin layers of earth which is within a movable wooden frame. The earth then becomes as hard as cement.

From Google images and Religion at Shang Dynasty