(LIGHT MUSIC)
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(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC) (PEOPLE HOLLERING)
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Narrator: 3,500 YEARS AGO, A GREAT AND POWERFUL DYNASTY
EMERGED FROM THE CENTRAL CHINESE PLAINS; THE SHANG.
THEIR ARMIES WERE LED BY A FIERCE AND BRILLIANT GENERAL.
HER NAME: FU HAO.
IN THE CITY OF ANYANG,
HER UNDISTURBED TOMB WAS DISCOVERED,
BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING VERY UNUSUAL
ABOUT THIS FAMOUS SHANG QUEEN.
ALONG WITH EXQUISITE JEWELRY AND ELABORATE BRONZE PIECES,
A MULTITUDE OF WEAPONS WERE FOUND.
THIS WAS THE GRAVE OF A GREAT WARRIOR.
Cao: THE TOMB OF FU HAO WAS ONE OF
THE MOST IMPORTANT ARCHEOLOGICAL DISCOVERY
OF THE BRONZE AGE.
Narrator: MANY ARCHEOLOGISTS BELIEVE THE SHANG
ARE THE FIRST DYNASTY OF CHINA.
Wilson: WE CAN TRACE THE ORIGINS OF CHINESE WRITING
TO THE SHANG DYNASTY.
IT'S THE ONLY ANCIENT WRITTEN LANGUAGE STILL IN ACTIVE USE.
Narrator: BASED ON THE LATEST RESEARCH
AND ARCHEOLOGICAL FINDINGS,
WE RECREATE THE LIFE OF THE SHANG PRINCESS
WHO BECAME A GENERAL,
(CHANTING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
PRIESTESS, AND QUEEN.
(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC)
AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND,
AN EAST ASIA COLLECTION WAS CREATED IN THE 1850S.
IT HOLDS THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF EVIDENCE
ABOUT CHINA'S FIRST FEMALE GENERAL;
A TINY INSCRIPTION ON A RITUAL TURTLE SHELL.
Cao: IN OUR COLLECTION, WE HAVE THIS PIECE OF ORACLE BONE,
SOMEONE DIVINED, FU HAO, RAISED 3,000 MEN,
JOINED WITH ANOTHER 10,000 MEN, FOR A MILITARY ATTACK.
THIS INSCRIPTION HAS THE LARGEST NUMBER OF A MILITARY FORCES
RECORDED FROM THE TIME.
THIS ORACLE BONE SHOWS THAT FU HAO
WAS A VERY CAPABLE MILITARY LEADER.
(LIGHT MUSIC) (REINS CLINKING)
Narrator: IN AROUND 1200 BCE,
HAO, THE DAUGHTER OF A LEADING SHANG LORD,
IS SENT TO THE CAPITAL FOR AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE TO THE KING.
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TROJAN WARS,
THE NEW EGYPTIAN KINGDOM AND THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE,
THE SHANG WERE ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST ADVANCED
BRONZE AGE CIVILIZATIONS.
THEIR KINGS RULED FROM THE CAPITAL, DAYISHANG.
IN THE VALLEYS AROUND THE YELLOW RIVER,
THE SHANG LORDS HAD TRANSFORMED FORESTS
INTO FERTILE FARM LANDS WITH THE HELP
OF A MASSIVE PEASANT LABOR FORCE.
HAO AND HER ENTOURAGE CREATE A STIR.
Wilson: THE SIGHT OF HORSES AND CHARIOTS WOULD HAVE BEEN
A VERY RARE THING.
THEY'RE ASSOCIATED WITH THE SENIOR ELITE OF SOCIETY.
(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC)
Narrator: HAO'S CHILDHOOD FRIEND, OFFICER YU,
HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED TO PROTECT THE PRINCESS
AT THE KING'S COURT.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE SHANG SETTLEMENTS
COULD BE DANGEROUS.
(MAN SHOUTS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
NOMADIC BANDITS LIE IN WAIT FOR THE TRAVELERS.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC) (HOOVES THUDDING)
YU AND HIS GUARDS FIGHT OFF THE RAIDERS,
HELPED BY HAO'S ARCHERY SKILLS.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES) (MEN GRUNTING)
IN THE 1970S, HAO'S TOMB WAS DISCOVERED IN YINXU
BY CHINESE ARCHEOLOGIST ZHENG ZHENXIANG
AT THE SITE OF THE SHANG CAPITAL.
Cao: IN FU HAO'S TOMBS WE FOUND A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF WEAPONS,
BOTH MADE IN BRONZE, AND ALSO JADE.
HER LIFE WERE MUCH INVOLVED IN MARTIAL ACTIVITIES
AND ALSO IN MILITARY ENGAGEMENTS.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: VICTORY BRINGS BENEFITS.
THE CAPTURED BANDITS ARE A CURRENCY IN THE SHANG WORLD.
Wilson: SOME OF THEM MAY HAVE BEEN USED FOR CONSCRIPT LABOR
IN THE FIELDS, MAYBE AS TRIBUTE SUBMITTING THEM
TO THE SHANG KING.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: THE PROSPECT OF BECOMING
A KING'S TRIBUTE TERRIFIES THE PRISONERS.
(WOMAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC)
Narrator: HAO ARRIVES AT DAYISHANG.
OVER 100,000 PEOPLE ARE LIVING HERE.
(BIRDS SQUAWKING) (LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC)
Wilson: I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT MUST HAVE GONE THROUGH HER HEAD
WHEN SHE FIRST CAUGHT SIGHT OF THE SHANG CAPITAL,
IT MUST'VE BEEN THE LARGEST SETTLEMENT IN CHINA AT THE TIME,
ONE OF THE LARGEST SETTLEMENTS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.
Narrator: AT THE HEART OF THE CAPITAL
ARE THE LUXURIOUS ROYAL PALACES AND TEMPLES
NEXT TO A MANMADE LAKE.
IT WAS HOME TO THE SHANG KING, WU DING.
WU DING WAS A MILITARY KING WHO PERSONALLY LED
HIS ARMIES TO EXPAND THE SHANG HEARTLAND IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
Cao: KING WU DING CERTAINLY
BROUGHT STABILITY TO THE SUN STATE.
WU DING, IN CHINESE MEANING MARTIAL DING,
WHICH INDICATES HE WAS A VERY CAPABLE MILITARY GENERAL.
Narrator: HAO ARRIVES WELL-PREPARED FOR THE MOMENT
SHE MEETS HER FUTURE HUSBAND.
(WOMAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: A GRIM FATE AWAITS HAO'S PRISONERS
AT THE HANDS OF THE KING.
(LIGHT MUSIC)
HAO TAKES ONE LAST LOOK AT HER OLD FRIEND, YU,
KNOWING HER LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
(LIGHT MUSIC CONTINUES)
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: THE KING'S FIRST QUEEN IS FU JING,
WHO IS DETERMINED TO DEFEND HER STATUS IN COURT.
(WOMAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: A SHANG KING ALWAYS FAVORS THE RIGHT,
SO THAT IS WHERE HIS FAVORITE QUEEN SHOULD SIT.
FOR NOW, PRINCESS HAO MUST ACCEPT HER SEAT TO THE LEFT.
Cao: PRINCESS HAO, WHEN SHE ARRIVED AT THE SUN COURT,
SHE WOULD HAVE FACED SOME VERY COMPLICATED SOCIAL
AND PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS.
THE KING HAD AT LEAST 64 WIVES,
AND SHE WOULD HAVE BECOME ONE OF THE THREE ROYAL CONSORTS.
Narrator: OFFICER YU PRESENTS ANOTHER SPECIAL
WEDDING GIFT FROM HAO'S CLAN; PRIZED OX SHOULDER BLADES
USED FOR IMPORTANT DIVINATION CEREMONIES
FOR THE SHANG ANCESTORS.
(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC)
IN DAYISHANG, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ORACLE DIVINATION BONES
HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED IN PITS AROUND THE PALACE COMPLEX.
THE FRAGMENTARY BONES AND TURTLE SHELLS WERE COVERED
WITH DETAILED INSCRIPTIONS ABOUT CHILDBIRTH,
HARVESTS AND WARFARE.
OFFERING HELP AND ADVICE TO THE LIVING
FROM THE DECEASED ANCESTORS AND THE SHANG GODS.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: THE KING CALLS HIS DIVINER
TO PREPARE A CEREMONY PREDICTING THE OUTCOME
OF HIS MARRIAGE TO HAO.
IN ORDER TO SHOW OFF HIS STATUS,
THE DIVINER PRESENTS PRECIOUS TURTLE SHELLS
AS AN OFFERING FROM HIS OWN CLAN INSTEAD.
(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC)
HIS GIFT REJECTED, THE DIVINER IS HUMILIATED.
Wilson: THE DIVINER WAS PROBABLY SOMEONE WHO WAS THOUGHT
TO POSSESS SPECIAL POWERS, SPECIAL SENSITIVITIES.
THEY MAY, IN FACT, HAVE FUNCTIONED ALMOST
LIKE A KIND OF SENIOR PRIESTHOOD.
Narrator: IN THE ROYAL TEMPLE,
AS THE ORACLE BONES ARE PREPARED,
THE DIVINER AND THE JEALOUS FIRST QUEEN SCHEME
TO DERAIL HAO'S WEDDING CEREMONY.
(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC) (FIRE CRACKLING)
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: IN THE SHANG DYNASTY CAPITAL OF DAYISHANG,
KING WU DING SEEKS APPROVAL FROM THE ANCESTORS
FOR HIS MARRIAGE TO HAO.
TO OBTAIN THEIR ANSWER, THE DIVINER INSERTS
A HEATED POKER TO CRACK THE OX BONE.
Wilson: THIS IS A FRAGMENTARY TURTLE SHELL THAT
WAS SPECIALLY PREPARED FOR THE DIVINATION CEREMONY.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE BACK OF THE SHELL,
YOU CAN SEE THERE'S SPECIALLY PREPARED NOTCHES
THAT WERE CUT INTO THE BACK.
AND IT WAS THE APPLICATION OF HEAT IN THESE HOLLOWED AREAS
ON THE BACK OF THE BONE THAT ACTUALLY
CAUSED THE BONE OR THE SHELL TO CRACK.
Narrator: THE WAY THE BONE CRACKS WILL SHOW
THE ANCESTORS' ANSWER.
THE DIVINER INSISTS THAT THE ANCESTORS DISAPPROVE
OF THE KING'S FORTHCOMING MARRIAGE TO HAO.
Wilson: THE DIVINATION DID NOT ALWAYS LEAD TO A CLEAR ANSWER.
THE DIVINER COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED
IN INTERPRETING THE CRACKS,
THE KING COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED
IN INTERPRETING THE CRACKS.
(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC)
Narrator: PRINCESS HAO INTERVENES.
SHE KNOWS THE DIVINER TAMPERED WITH THE BONE.
SHE SPOTS ANOTHER CRACK WITH A QUITE DIFFERENT OUTCOME;
A SIGN THAT HER MARRIAGE WILL BRING GOOD FORTUNE.
Wilson: THE SYSTEM CERTAINLY, TO MODERN EYES,
APPEARS THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN MANIPULATED.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: FROM NOW ON, HAO IS ASSURED
SHE WILL BECOME A QUEEN.
THE OUTCOME IS INSCRIBED IN THE BONE.
OVER 50,000 SHANG ORACLE BONES WERE DISCOVERED IN ANYANG.
THE 3,000 YEAR OLD INSCRIPTIONS RECORD
THE STORY OF FU HAO, KING WU DING,
AND THE HISTORY OF THE SHANG DYNASTY.
Wilson: YOU CAN SEE THE CRACK AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE
THE INSCRIPTIONS THAT NARRATE THE SUBJECT
OF THE DIVINATION CEREMONY.
THE CHARACTERS ARE VERY PICTOGRAPHIC;
YOU CAN SEE A DEPICTION OF A FOUR LEGGED ANIMAL
DOWN HERE IN THE CORNER.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: IN WASHINGTON, DC,
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ASIAN ART IS PART
OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION,
WHICH FUNDED SOME OF THE EARLY EXCAVATIONS
OF THE ANCIENT SHANG CAPITAL THAT WAS LATER NAMED YINXU.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC)
Narrator: IN DAYISHANG, A CEREMONY IS HELD
FOR HAO'S WEDDING, LED BY QUEEN FU JING.
THE CAPTIVES ARE TO BE SACRIFICED
AS AN OFFERING TO THE ANCESTORS.
(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES)
(METAL CLINKS)
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: FOR HER WEDDING CEREMONY,
THERE WAS ONE MORE OFFERING TO THE ANCESTORS;
MEAT COOKED IN AN ELABORATE CAULDRON
CAST IN THE FINEST BRONZE IN CHINA.
THIS 2,000 POUND RITUAL VESSEL WAS DISCOVERED AT ANYANG.
IT IS THE HEAVIEST BRONZE WORK IN THE ANCIENT WORLD
INSCRIBED FROM KING WU DING TO HIS QUEEN FU JING.
IN THE PALACE TEMPLE, FU JING RELUCTANTLY PRESIDES
OVER A CEREMONY FOR THE NEW QUEEN.
(WOMAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: FU HAO JOINS FU JING AND FU GUI
AS THE THIRD QUEEN, ALL FROM THE MOST LOYAL
AND POWERFUL CLANS OF THE SHANG.
FU HAO PREPARES FOR HER FIRST NIGHT WITH THE KING.
A LOT DEPENDS ON THIS FOR HER CLAN'S STATUS AT COURT.
(CRICKETS CHIRPING)
Narrator: FU HAO'S FUTURE AND THE STANDING OF HER CLAN
RESTS ON HER FIRST NIGHT WITH THE KING.
(WOMAN SINGING) (HAUNTING MUSIC)
Cao: FOR A YOUNG WOMAN, SHE WAS FACING MANY CHALLENGES,
AND ALSO SHE WOULD HAVE COMPETITIONS FROM OTHERS.
Narrator: THE NEXT MORNING, HAO IS TAKEN AWAY
FROM THE KING'S CHAMBERS BY FU JING.
(WOMAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
FU HAO REALIZES THAT SHE IS NOW JUST ONE OF MANY.
HAO SEEKS SOLACE IN A BEAUTIFUL JADE PHOENIX
GIVEN TO HER BY HER FATHER AS A SYMBOL
OF HER CLAN'S STRENGTH.
SHE IS DETERMINED NOT TO BE ONE OF
THE KING'S FACELESS MARRIAGE TROPHIES.
(HAUNTING MUSIC CONTINUES)
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: FU HAO'S TOMB CONTAINED 865 PIECES
SIMILAR TO THESE MADE OF JADE AND MARBLE,
THE MOST VALUABLE MATERIALS OF THE SHANG PERIOD.
NEXT TO THE 564 BEAUTIFUL CARVED IVORY AND SHELL OBJECTS,
MORE HIGH STATUS JEWELRY WAS DISCOVERED.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(HAUNTING MUSIC)
Narrator: HAO'S OLD FRIEND, YU,
DOES HIS BEST TO TAKE CARE OF THE VALUABLE HORSES.
HAO SHOWS HIM THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FEED.
SHE HAS AN AFFINITY WITH HORSES.
THE KING IS INTRIGUED BY HAO'S INDEPENDENT
AND DETERMINED NATURE, AND IMPRESSED BY HER HORSEMANSHIP.
(HAUNTING MUSIC CONTINUES)
Wilson: THE TRANSMISSION OF HORSE CULTURE IS SOMETHING
THAT IS STILL A LITTLE BIT OF A MYSTERY.
IT'S THOUGHT THAT THE IDEA OF HORSES CAN BE ASSOCIATED
WITH FU HAO'S TIME.
IN FU HAO'S TOMB, WE'VE FOUND A PARTICULAR KIND
OF SKINNING KNIFE THAT OFTEN HAS A HORSE HEAD HANDLE
THAT SUGGESTS TO US THAT SHE MAY
HAVE HAD A CLOSER PERSONAL CONNECTION.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
Narrator: BY DEMONSTRATING HER SUPERIOR RIDING SKILLS,
HAO SHOWS SHE IS TRULY DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER QUEENS.
(WOMAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(SPEAR THUDS)
(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC)
(SPEAR THUDS)
THE FLOURISHING SHANG KINGDOM WAS SURROUNDED
BY MANY DANGEROUS TRIBES,
CONSTANTLY CHALLENGING AND ATTACKING HIS DEFENSES.
KING WU DING IS DESPERATE FOR NEWS FROM HIS ARMY
FIGHTING IN THE TROUBLED BORDER REGION.
THE FIRST QUEEN, FU JING, WAS WITH HIS TROOPS.
(WOMAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: IN THE ROYAL TEMPLE, THE KING SEEKS GUIDANCE
ABOUT HIS MILITARY RESPONSE.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: NO ONE IN THE PALACE KNOWS WHO WILL
BE CHOSEN AS GENERAL TO SUPPRESS THE TROUBLE AT THE BORDER.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: THE ANCESTORS' ADVICE MEANS THAT FU HAO
HAS BOOSTED HER STATUS;
SHE IS NOW A QUEEN AND A GENERAL.
Wilson: THE SHANG WAS ALMOST CONSTANTLY AT WAR,
AND WARFARE WAS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT
OF THE RULER'S RESPONSIBILITY
MAINTAINING AND PROTECTING THE STATE.
(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC)
Narrator: THE MANY BRONZE WORKSHOPS IN DAYISHANG
RELIED ON SECURE TRADE ROUTES FOR THE SUPPLY
OF TIN AND COPPER FROM THE SOUTH.
THE URBAN SETTLEMENT ALSO TRADED HORSES,
SALT AND JADE FROM THE NORTH.
THE FLOURISHING TRADE HAD TO BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS.
TO DEAL WITH THE UNREST ON THE NORTHWESTERN BORDER,
FU HAO IS ADVISED BY THE EXPERIENCED GENERAL, JU.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(WOMAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: FU HAO HAS A CORE UNIT OF PROFESSIONAL SOLDIERS
WHO WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED ALONG THE WAY BY CONSCRIPTS.
(CART RATTLING)
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: IN THE CENTER OF MODERN DAY ANYANG,
NOT FAR FROM THE OLD PALACES,
WE FIND THE ROYAL BURIAL COMPLEX AT XIAOTUN.
HERE, CHARIOTS AND THEIR HORSES FOUND ALL ACROSS
THE SHANG CAPITAL HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TOGETHER.
AS A GENERAL, FU HAO NEEDS TO CONSCRIPT MORE SOLDIERS.
SHANG ARMIES RELIED ON PEASANT FARMERS TO BOLSTER THE RANKS.
(BIRDS CHIRPING) (LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC)
GENERAL FU HAO'S RECRUITERS ARRIVE IN WHAT SEEMS
TO BE A DESERTED VILLAGE.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(MEN YELLING) (METAL CLINKING)
(WOMAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: FU HAO IS IMPRESSED BY THE WOMEN'S COURAGE.
SHE NEGOTIATES WITH VILLAGE LEADER, PANG,
AND OFFERS RICH AWARDS FOR THE MEN TO JOIN THE ARMY.
(WOMAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: FU HAO RECRUITS THE VILLAGE WOMEN TO HER ARMY.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC)
Narrator: FU HAO STILL NEEDS MORE SOLDIERS,
BUT THAT'S A PROBLEM FOR THE LOCAL SHANG LORDS.
PEASANT LABOR WAS VITAL TO FARM THEIR LANDS.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: FU HAO HOLDS A SPECIAL SACRIFICE CEREMONY
FOR THE ANCESTORS IN SUPPORT OF HER FOR MILITARY CAMPAIGN.
(WOMAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES)
Narrator: THE SHANG ALWAYS GAVE ONE SYMBOLIC
DRINK TO THEIR ANCESTORS.
(WOMAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(WOMAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Wilson: IT'S THOUGHT THAT IN THE SHANG,
REALLY THE MEASURE OF WEALTH WAS PROBABLY
MORE BASED ON LABOR.
THE NUMBER OF ABLE-BODIED HANDS YOU HAD FOR CLEARING FIELDS,
FOR BUILDING, FOR FARMING, RATHER THAN OWNING LAND ITSELF.
Narrator: TO BREAK THE DEADLOCK,
GENERAL FU HAO SUGGESTS THAT THE LORDS WILL BE SACRIFICED
IF THEY DON'T DELIVER TROOPS.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
HER RUTHLESS MESSAGE BRINGS THEM BACK INTO LINE.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES)
Cao: THERE WAS CONSTANTLY SHIFTING OF POWERS,
AND ALSO ALLIANCES, AND CERTAINLY
FROM ORACLE BONE INSCRIPTION WE KNOW SOME GROUPS
WERE ALLIES OF THE SHANG,
AND THOSE LATER SHIFTED TO BE ENEMIES.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
Narrator: ON THE MORNING BEFORE BATTLE,
GENERAL FU HAO INSPECTS HER TROOPS ONE LAST TIME.
SHE IS PROUD TO SEE PANG AND HER WOMEN FIGHTERS
AMONGST THE MEN.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(EVERYONE CHANTS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: GENERAL FU HAO LEADS HER ARMY
INTO BATTLE AGAINST THE ENEMY,
CARRYING THE AX OF A SHANG COMMANDER.
Wilson: TWO LARGE AXES LIKE THIS WERE FOUND IN FU HAO'S TOMB.
THEY'RE LARGE AND VERY HEAVY.
TO FIND AN OBJECT LIKE THIS IN A SHANG ELITE TOMB
SUGGESTS THAT THE OCCUPANT OF THE TOMB
WAS A GREAT MILITARY LEADER, OR MAYBE A RITUAL LEADER.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: FU HAO LINES UP HER TROOPS
FOR HER FIRST BATTLE AS A QUEEN AND GENERAL.
(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC)
Narrator: GENERAL FU HAO PREPARES TO LEAD HER ARMY
INTO COMBAT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES)
(PEOPLE HOLLERING)
THEN THE ROYAL GUARD AND THE QUEEN HERSELF JOIN THE BATTLE.
(EVERYONE HOLLERING)
(METAL CLINKS)
THE CONFLICT DESCENDS INTO A CHAOTIC MELEE
OF HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT OVER A LARGE AREA.
Cao: FROM THE FRAGMENTED EVIDENCE
WE HAVE ON ORACLE BONES.
THEY'RE SOME CAMPAIGN TOOK QUITE A LONG TIME.
IT IS UNLIKELY ONE LARGE MILITARY CAMPAIGN
COULD BE SETTLED BY ONE DECISIVE BATTLE.
(PEOPLE HOLLERING) (METAL CLANKS)
Narrator: GENERAL JU FIGHTS ALONGSIDE THE VILLAGE WOMEN.
(MAN SCREAMS) (LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC)
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(DRAMATIC MUSIC) (PEOPLE HOLLERING)
Narrator: FU HAO SPOTS THE ENEMY COMMANDER.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC) (METAL CLINKING)
THE SHANG WIN THE DAY,
BUT NOT WITHOUT LOSS.
(LIGHT MUSIC)
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: IN A SPECIAL CEREMONY
IN HONOR OF HER VICTORY,
FU HAO CONSULTS THE SHANG ANCESTORS.
(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC) (FIRE CRACKLING)
THE CRACKS IN THE ORACLE BONE DECREE THAT THE PRISONERS
OF WAR ARE TO BE SACRIFICED.
(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES)
Wilson: IT MAY BE SHOCKING TO US,
BUT HUMAN SACRIFICE WAS A VITAL PART OF SHANG LIFE.
WHOLE SKELETONS, SKULLS, BEHEADED SKELETONS
ARE FOUND IN VARIOUS COMBINATIONS,
SOMETIMES IN ASSOCIATION WITH ROYAL BURIALS,
AND SOMETIMES IN OTHER LOCATIONS AT THE SHANG SITE.
IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN
AN IMPORTANT PART OF RITUAL PRACTICE.
(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC)
(WOMAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: AFTER HER VICTORY,
FU HAO'S PROMINENCE IN COURT IS ESTABLISHED.
SHE TAKES OVER MANY OF THE KING'S DUTIES.
Cao: SHE WOULD HAVE
MANY DIFFERENT ROLES ON THE MANAGEMENT
OF STATE AFFAIR, TO AGRICULTURAL WORK,
OR TO PERFORM DIVINATION ON BEHALF OF THE KING.
Narrator: THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND
HOLDS AN IMPORTANT COLLECTION OF SHANG ORACLE BONES.
AMONG THE ANCIENT BONE FRAGMENTS
WE FIND EVIDENCE OF FU HAO'S CONTINUING SUCCESS
ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
Cao: THIS ORACLE BONE HAS THE DATE OF THE DIVINATION,
AND NOW WE LOST THE DIVINERS NAME,
BUT WE DO HAVE THE QUESTION, WHICH IS:
"IF QUEEN FU HAO RAISED 3,000 MEN,
AND JOINED THEM WITH ANOTHER 10,000 MEN FOR A CAMPAIGN,
WOULD SHE RECEIVE ASSISTANT?"
BUT IT SHOWS FU HAO WAS TRUSTED WITH SUCH LARGE FORCES
AND INDICATES HER ABILITY AS A MILITARY LEADER.
(LIGHT MUSIC) (FIRE CRACKLING)
Narrator: OVER THE YEARS, HAO HAS BECOME
WU DING'S FAVORITE QUEEN.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: THE KING INSTRUCTS HIS DIVINER TO PREPARE
A CEREMONY TO PREDICT THE SEX OF THEIR CHILD.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: AS HIS MOST TRUSTED ADVISOR,
FU HAO NOW SITS ON THE RIGHT OF WU DING
AS THEY RECEIVE THE RESULTS OF THE DIVINATION.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(LIGHT MUSIC)
Narrator: FU HAO GAVE BIRTH TO A BOY.
OVER THE YEARS, THE COUPLE ENJOY SPENDING TIME TOGETHER
ALONE IN THE ROYAL FORESTS.
Cao: HUNTING HAS MANY DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS;
IT'S NOT JUST AN OCCASION OUT AND CAPTURE THE GAME FOR FOOD,
BUT IT'S ALSO A WAY OF MARTIAL TRAINING
FOR THE KING AND ALL FOR THE OTHER ELITES.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(LEAVES RUSTLING)
(LIGHT MUSIC)
Narrator: THE ROYAL COUPLE'S TIME
WOULD SOON BE CUT SHORT.
(LIGHT MUSIC CONTINUES)
Narrator: SOMETIME IN THE 12TH CENTURY BCE,
SHANG KING REALIZES THAT HIS IRREPLACEABLE QUEEN IS DYING.
(LIGHT MUSIC CONTINUES) (WOMAN SINGING)
FU HAO WAS JUST 33.
Cao: IT IS LIKELY KING WU DING WOULD BE DEVASTATED
WHEN FU HAO PASSED AWAY AT A RELATIVELY YOUNG AGE.
THIS IS MOSTLY LIKELY BECAUSE FU HAO
WAS A VERY CAPABLE WOMAN AND SUPPORTED THE KING
IN MANY ASPECTS OVER THE STATE'S GOVERNANCE.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Narrator: KING WU DING MISSES HIS QUEEN,
PRIESTESS AND GENERAL SO MUCH
THAT HE INSISTS ON BURYING HER NOT IN THE ROYAL CEMETERY,
BUT RIGHT NEXT TO HIS PALACE.
Wilson: IT'S REMARKABLE THAT THE KING DIDN'T WANT HER BURIED
FAR FROM HIM AND SUGGESTS A DESIRE TO KEEP
THAT KIND OF PROXIMITY, THAT KIND OF CONNECTION
EVEN AFTER HER DEATH.
(LIGHT MUSIC) (FIRE CRACKLING)
Narrator: THE GRIEVING KING ASSEMBLES VALUABLE
GRAVE GOODS TO COMFORT FU HAO
IN THE WORLD OF THE SHANG ANCESTORS.
ANOTHER TRADITION WAS FOR CLOSE FRIENDS OR FAMILY
TO ACCOMPANY THE DECEASED.
FU HAO'S GUARDIAN, YU, MAKES A SPECIAL REQUEST.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Cao: FROM THE ARCHEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE,
BASED ON THE ROYAL TOMBS, WE CAN DEDUCT THAT
SOME OF THE SACRIFICED HUMAN WERE LIKELY
TO HAVE HAD A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE KING
OR OTHER ROYAL FAMILY MEMBERS.
IN SHANG'S BELIEF SYSTEM, THE DECEASED WOULD CONTINUE
TO INFLUENCE THE LIVING WORLD.
WU DING CONSIDERED FU HAO COULD CONTINUE
SUPPORT HIM, ADVISE HIM.
Narrator: WU DING IS RECEIVING A SPECIAL AMBASSADOR,
BUT WITHOUT HIS BELOVED ADVISOR,
HE STRUGGLES WITH STATE AFFAIRS.
Cao: IT IS REALLY FASCINATING TO THINK THIS PIECE OF BONE
ON MY PALM NOW IS 3,000 YEARS OLD.
WHEN THEY PERFORMED THIS DIVINATION,
KING WU DING AND FU HAO WOULD BE PRESENT IN THE SAME SPACE,
AND HOW AMAZING THAT IS.
(MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Cao: TO ME, PERSONALLY, FU HAO WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN.
SHE ALLOWS US TO REEVALUATE HOW WE THINK ABOUT
WOMEN'S ROLE IN THE ANCIENT WORLD.
Narrator: THANKS TO THE DISCOVERY OF HER TOMB,
THE LEGACY OF FU HAO, THE SHANG DYNASTY,
AND THE BIRTH OF THE CHINESE CIVILIZATION LIVES ON.
(WOMAN SINGS) (LIGHT MUSIC)
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC)