The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to ancient China:

Ancient China – China under the rule of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, beginning around 2070 B.C. and extending until approximately 256 B.C.

Geography of ancient China

Locations in ancient China

• List of Bronze Age sites in China

Regions of ancient China

• Regions of ancient China during the Xia and Shang dynasties
  • Nine Provinces
    1. Ji Province
    2. Jing Province
    3. Liang Province
    4. Qing Province
    5. Xu Province
    6. Yan Province
    7. Yang Province
    8. Yong Province
    9. Yu Province

Government and politics of ancient China

• Political thought in ancient China
  • Mandate of Heaven
• Ancient Chinese states
• Interstate relations during the Spring and Autumn period
• Family tree of ancient Chinese emperors
• Aristocracy in ancient China (nobility)

Rulers in ancient China

• Kings of the Xia dynasty
  • Yu the Great
  • Qi
  • Tai Kang
  • Zhong Kang
  • Xiang
  • Shao Kang
  • Zhu
  • Huai
  • Mang
  • Xie
  • Bu Jiang
  • Jiong
  • Jin
  • Kong Jia
  • Gao
  • Fa
  • Jie
• Kings of the Shang Dynasty
  • Early Shang period
    • Da Yi
    • Da Ding
    • Da Jia
    • Bu Bing
    • Da Geng
    • Xiao Jia
    • Da Wu
    • Lü Ji
    • Zhong Ding
    • Bu Ren
    • Jian Jia
    • Zu Yi
    • Zu Xin
    • Qiang Jia
    • Zu Ding
    • Nan Geng
    • Xiang Jia
  • Yin period
    • Pan Geng
    • Xiao Xin
    • Xiao Yi
    • Wu Ding
    • Zu Geng
    • Zu Jia
    • Lin Xin
    • Kang Ding
    • Wu Yi
    • Wen Wu Ding
    • Di Yi
    • Di Xin

Ancient Chinese law

• Traditional Chinese law

Military history of ancient China

Military of ancient China

• Ancient Chinese armor
• Crossbow
• Military thought
  • During the Zhou Dynasty
    • Six Secret Teachings – attributed to Lü Shang (aka Jiang Ziya), a top general of King Wen of Zhou, founder of the Zhou dynasty
  • During Warring States period – great period for military strategy; of the Seven Military Classics of China, four were written during this period:
    • The Art of War – attributed to Sun Tzu, a highly influential study of strategy and tactics.^[1]
    • Wuzi – attributed to Wu Qi, a statesman and commander who served the states of Wei and then Chu.
    • Wei Liaozi – of uncertain authorship.
    • The Methods of the Sima – attributed to Sima Rangju, a commander serving the state of Qin.

General history of ancient China

Ancient Chinese history, by period

History of ancient China

• Neolithic China (c. 8500 – c. 2070 BC) – predates ancient China
• Bronze Age China
  • Xia dynasty (c. 2070 – c. 1600 BC)
  • Shang dynasty (c. 1600 – c. 1046 BC)
  • Zhou dynasty (c. 1046 – 256 BC|BCE)
    • Western Zhou (1046–771 BC)
• Iron Age China
  • Zhou dynasty (continued)
    • Eastern Zhou
      • Spring and Autumn period (771 – 476 BC)
      • Warring States period (475 – 221 BC)

Ancient Chinese history, by region

See also Regions of ancient China, above

• Ancient history of Beijing
• Ancient history of Shanghai
• Ye

Ancient Chinese history, by subject

See the rest of this outline

Works on ancient Chinese history

• Records of the Grand Historian
• The Cambridge History of Ancient China
• Twenty-Four Histories

Culture of ancient China

• Architecture in ancient China
  • Ancient Chinese wooden architecture
• Dogs in ancient China
• Games in ancient China
  • Chuiwan
  • Cuju
  • Go
  • Liubo
• Mythology of China
  • Chinese creation myth
  • Chinese dragon
• Ancient Chinese urban planning
• Women in ancient and imperial China

Art in ancient China

Performing arts in ancient China

• Juggling in ancient China
• Music in ancient China
  • Yayue

Language in ancient China

• Old Chinese or Archaic Chinese
• Classical Chinese or Literary Chinese
• History of names in ancient China
  • History of Chinese personal names
  • History of Chinese surnames in ancient China
    • Origin of Chinese surnames
    • Eight Great Surnames of Chinese Antiquity
• Evolution of written Chinese
  • Oracle bone script – earliest confirmed evidence of the Chinese script yet discovered is the body of inscriptions carved on oracle bones from the late Shang dynasty (c. 1200–1050 BC).
  • Chinese bronze inscriptions
  • Seal script

Literature in ancient China

• Ancient Chinese classics

People in ancient China

• • Ancient Chinese philosophers
• Family tree of ancient Chinese emperors

Philosophy in ancient China

Ancient Chinese philosophy

• Hundred Schools of Thought
• School of Names
• Ancient Chinese philosophers

Economics and infrastructure of ancient China

• Economic history of ancient China
• Coinage in ancient China

Science and technology of ancient China

• Chariots in ancient China
  • Xi Zhong
• Bamboo and wooden slips
• Crossbow