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Fu Hao: Military general and high priestess

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Who was Fu Hao?

  • Fu Hao (also known as Lady Hao) was a wife of King Wu Ding.
  • She was also a military general and high priestess.
  • Wu Ding actually had 64 wives, but Fu Hao became the second most powerful.
  • She died around 1200 BC.
Fu Hao with her army.
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What did she do?

  • Fu owned her own land.

  • King Wu ordered Fu to make very special rituals and sacrifices. We know this from the oracle bones.

  • They also tell us that Fu was a general in command of Shang armies. The weapons in her tomb also suggest this.

  • Fu Hao had up to 13,000 troops serving under her and won many battles.

  • Other women were also in the military during the Shang dynasty. About 600 women are recorded in the oracle bones as being in the army.

Fu Hao performing a ritual.
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What was in Fu Hao鈥檚 tomb?

Jade objects in Fu Hao's tomb.
  • In 1976, the tomb of Fu Hao was discovered.

  • It is the only Shang dynasty tomb left untouched, partly because Fu was buried away from the royal tombs across the river at Yinxu.

  • Discovered in the tomb were:

    • over 700 jade objects
    • more than 500 bone objects
    • 400 bronze objects
    • 16 dogs
    • 16 human sacrifices
  • Some of the jade objects had been collected by Fu herself and were already antiques when she died.

  • She was also buried with a large quantity of weapons including great battle axes.

Jade objects in Fu Hao's tomb.
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Activities

Activity 1: Fu Hao quiz

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