Shang dynasty had a stratified class structure or social pyramid, which consisted of kings at the apex, nobles/landowners and priests just below kings, followed by merchants and farmers (majority working class) and at the very bottom were slaves. The concept of the afterlife was prevalent in the ancient Shang dynasty where nobles and kings were buried with treasure and items that would be useful in their afterlife. Shang dynasty is also famous for its techniques to make and use Bronze for items of day-to-day use, jewelry, and weaponry such as spears, axes, and bows as well as helmets. The Shang Dynasty had also developed advanced farming techniques such as irrigation and flood control. Domesticated horses were used both for farming and fighting wars. The other invention by the Chinese was that of the chariot that allowed soldiers to travel long distances rapidly, during a campaign.

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Shang dynasty is also famous for its techniques to make and use Bronze for items of day-to-day use, jewelry, and weaponry such as spears, axes, and bows as well as helmets. Additionally, Shang dynasty developed advanced farming techniques such as irrigation and flood control. Domesticated horses were used both for farming and fighting wars. The other invention by the Chinese was that of the chariot that allowed soldiers to travel long distances rapidly, during a campaign. Shang dynasty also created a precise annual calendar system with a year spanning 360 days, with 12 months of 30 days each. Since the solar year is not exactly 360 days, every few years, whole months were inserted (i.e., some years will have 13 months) to keep in a routine with the solar year. It was during the Shang period that ancient Chinese writing with characters known as logographs (replacing pictorial/symbolic language through pictographs) appeared on oracle bones. Oracle bones were engraved with messages written using logographs that were believed to predict the future if read by the Diviners (mystical individuals or priests whose advice was sought by kings on a routine or significant decisions).

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Religion-wise, the people of the Shang Dynasty were polytheistic, which meant that there was a belief in multiple gods with the same magnitude of different powers. There were beliefs that there were predictions from the future or advice from the gods through oracle bones. The oracle bones were the scriptures that were used to write claimed predictions or advice that people in the time believed were from the gods. The shamans were essentially the priests and they were the intermediaries between man and god. They were supposed to listen to god and write the advice and predictions onto the oracle bones and be able to transcribe the readings and send them to the people.