Chronology

Early dates particularly those of the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties vary from author to author.
It was only until archeological excavation in 1928, was the Xia dynasty confirmed as more than a myth. In the 1960's and 1970's archaeologists uncovered urban sites, tombs and bronze implements
that confirm the existence of the Xia civilization in the same geographical locations as ancient Chinese scripts.
Since China was not a Christian country the terms BC ("Before Christ") and AD ("in the year of our Lord")

DYNASTIES			PERIOD
Pre-Imperial China
Xia			21 BCE ~ 16 BCE
Shang			16 BCE ~ 1066 BCE
Zhou	Western Zhou		1066 BCE ~ 771 BCE
	Eastern Zhou	Spring and Autumn	722 BCE ~ 481 BCE
		Warring States	480 BCE ~ 221 BCE
The Early Empire
Qin			221 BCE ~ 206 BCE
Han	Western Han		206 BCE ~ 24 CE
	Eastern Han		25 ~ 220
Three Kingdom	Wei		220 ~ 265
	Shu		221 ~ 263
	Wu		222 ~ 280
Jin	Western Jin		265 ~ 316
	Eastern Jin		317 ~ 420
Southern and Northern Dynasties	Southern Dynasties	Liu Song	420 ~ 479
		Qi	479 ~ 502
		Liang	502 ~ 557
		Chen	557 ~ 589
	Northern Dynasties	Northern Wei	386 ~ 534
		Eastern Wei	534 ~ 550
		Western Wei	535 ~ 556
		Northern Qi	550 ~ 557
		Northern Zhou	557 ~ 581
The Middle Empire
Sui			581 ~ 618
Tang			618 ~ 907
Five Dynasties	Later Liang		907 ~ 923
	Later Tang		923 ~ 936
	Later Jin		936 ~ 947
	Later Han		947 ~ 950
	Later Zhou		951 ~ 960
The Later Empire
Liao			906 ~ 1125
Song	Northern Song		960 ~ 1127
	Southern Song		1127 ~ 1279
Jin			1115 ~ 1234
Yuan			1271 ~ 1368
Ming			1368 ~ 1644
Qing			1644 ~ 1911
Post Imperial China
Republic of China			1912 ~ 1949
People's Repubic of China			1949 ~

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