The Zhou Dynasty was descended from the Zhou clan who existed during the time of the Shang Dynasty. Around the 11th century, the Zhou clan had become increasingly powerful and increased it land mass to encompass the Shaanxi and Gansu Provinces. The exponential power increase of the Zhou clan threatened the Shang Dynasty and the conflict between the two groups only intensified until the end of the Shang Dynasty when the first emperor of the newly formed Zhou Empire, Wu, killed and overthrew the Shang Dynasty.
Technological advances that the Xia made include the following. Used new iron tools to increase agriculture, created irrigation systems for widespread agricultural growth, pottery to craft different arts, rafts for river trade between villages, lacquer, silk which would prove to be very prominent in Chinese history, spinning and weaving, and carving.