Editing Shang dynasty (section)

=== Founding myth ===
{{See also|Predynastic Shang}}
The founding myth of the Shang is described by Sima Qian in the ''Annals of the Yin''. In the text, a woman named [[Jiandi]], who was the second wife of [[Emperor Ku]], swallowed an egg dropped by a black bird and subsequently gave birth miraculously to [[Xie of Shang|Xie]]. Xie is said to have helped [[Yu the Great]] to control the [[Great Flood (China)|Great Flood]] and for his service to have been granted a place called Shang as a fief.<ref>{{harvp|Keightley|1999|p=233}}, with additional details from the ''Historical Records''.</ref> The period before the Shang dynasty was established is known as the "[[Predynastic Shang]]" (or "Proto-Shang").<ref>{{citation |title=The Magic Square: Cities in Ancient China |given=Alfred |surname=Schinz |publisher=Axel Menges |year=1996 |isbn=978-3-930698-02-8 |page=27}}</ref><ref>{{citation |title=China: A New Cultural History |given=Zhuoyun |surname=Xu |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-231-15920-3 |page=73}}</ref>