Word: rulership
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...which lasted until 1030 B.C., bronze was so precious that it was strictly the prerogative of royalty, and even then used largely for sacramental rites honoring gods and ancestors. In fact, the vessels known as dings, which are characteristic of the time, were symbols of the divine right of rulership. The most prevalent Shang decoration was a mysterious beast whose eyes were always carefully articulated but whose body dissolved into indeterminate abstract swirls...