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  Early China

• 5000 - 2700 BC: Yangshao culture
• 5000 BC: Evidence of rice cultivation, basketry
• 3500-2000 BC: Longsham culture
• 3000 BC: Domestication of sheep, cattle and water buffalo
• 2205-1818 BC: Xia dynasty
• 1523-1027 BC: Shang dynasty
• 1027-771 BC: Zhou dynasty
• 770-256 BC: Later Zhou
• b. 604 BC: Lao-tse
• 511-479 BC: Kung Fu-tse
• 403-221BC: Warring States Period

  Early Imperial China

• 221-207 BC: Qin dynasty
• 206 BC- AD 9: Former Han Dynasty
• AD 25--220: Later Han dynasty
• 220-265: Three Kingdoms Period
• 265-316: Western Qin dynasty

  Classical Imperial China

• 581-618: Sui dynasty
• 618-907: Tang dynasty
• 907-960: Collapse of Central Government
• 960-1126: Northern Song dynasty
• 1127-1279: Southern Song dynasty

  Later Imperial China

• 1280-1367: Yuan dynasty
• 1368-1644: Ming dynasty
• 1644-1911: Qing (Manchu) dynasty

  Post-Imperial China: 1911-

• 1911-1949: The Republic of China
• 1949- The People's Republic of China

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