Pottery from Guandimiao

Guandimiao is a Chinese archaeological site in Xingyang, Henan. It is the site of a small Late Shang village, inhabited by around 100 people at its peak, and occupied from c. 1250 to 1100 BCE. It likely exported ceramics (example pictured) and cattle, while importing mass-produced goods such as arrowheads and hairpins from the Shang capital at Yinxu, 200 km (120 mi) to the north. The villagers practiced rituals such as pyromancy using locally produced oracle bones and the sacrifice of cattle—as well as, more rarely, pigs and humans. Burials at the site have been noted for the almost complete absence of grave goods beyond occasional cowrie shells and sacrificed dogs. It was first excavated from 2006 to 2008 during preparations for the South–North Water Transfer Project; work at the site has significantly broadened scholars' understanding of rural Shang economies and rituals, as well as the layout of rural villages, which have received relatively little attention in comparison to urban centers. (Full article...)

Sachertorte

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Friedrich Merz

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May 7

Maximilien Robespierre

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