Education in china

Prehistory 
10,000-year-old 
pottery, Xianren 
Cave culture 
(18000–7000 BCE) 
China is regarded as one of the world's oldest civilizations. Archaeological 
evidence suggests that early hominids inhabited the country 2.25 million years 
ago.
[36]
 The hominid fossils of Peking Man, a Homo erectus who used fire, were 
discovered in a cave at Zhoukoudian near Beijing; they have been dated to between 
680,000 and 780,000 years ago. The fossilized teeth of Homo sapiens (dated to 
125,000–80,000 years ago) have been discovered in Fuyan Cave in Dao 
County, Hunan. Chinese proto-writing existed 
in Jiahu around 
6600 
BCE,
[40]
 at Damaidi around 6000 BCE, Dadiwan from 5800 to 5400 BCE, 
and Banpo dating from the 5th millennium BCE. Some scholars have suggested 
that the Jiahu symbols (7th millennium BCE) constituted the earliest Chinese 
writing system.
Early dynastic rule 
Further information: Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, Xia dynasty, Shang 
dynasty, Zhou dynasty, Spring and Autumn period, and Warring States period 

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Yinxu, the ruins of the capital of the late Shang 
dynasty (14th century BCE) 
According to Chinese tradition, the first dynasty was the Xia, which emerged 
around 2100 BCE. The Xia dynasty marked the beginning of China's political 
system based on hereditary monarchies, or dynasties, which lasted for a 
millennium. The Xia dynasty was considered mythical by historians until scientific 
excavations found early Bronze Age sites at Erlitou, Henan in 1959. It remains 
unclear whether these sites are the remains of the Xia dynasty or of another culture 
from the same period.
[45]
 The succeeding Shang dynasty is the earliest to be 
confirmed by contemporary records. The Shang ruled the plain of the Yellow 
River in eastern China from the 17th to the 11th century BCE.
[47]
 Their oracle bone 
script (from c. 1500 BCE) represents the oldest form of Chinese writing yet 
found and is a direct ancestor of modern Chinese characters.
[51]
 
The Shang was conquered by the Zhou, who ruled between the 11th and 5th 
centuries BCE, though centralized authority was slowly eroded by feudal warlords. 
Some principalities eventually emerged from the weakened Zhou, no longer fully 
obeyed the Zhou king, and continually waged war with each other during the 300-
year Spring and Autumn period. By the time of the Warring States period of the 
5th–3rd centuries BCE, there were seven major powerful states left.