Final answer:
Most Shang dynasty sacrifice victims were servants, prisoners of war, and animals, with some rituals involving thousands of sacrifices to appease Di and ancestors, and maintain royal authority.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to written records, most Shang dynasty sacrifice victims were servants, prisoners of war, and animals such as dogs and horses. These sacrifices were conducted on a large scale, with royal tombs containing multiple human sacrifices alongside hundreds of valuable items. In some cases, a single ritual could involve the sacrifice of thousands, as indicated by records of King Wu Ding who sacrificed over nine thousand victims. The rampant scale of sacrifices reflected a belief to appease the supreme deity Di and the ancestors, with a goal to prevent problems such as famine and maintain royal power. The scale and intensity of sacrifices, including those of noble 'accompaniers in death' and war captives, also reflected the social and political structures of the Shang society. The oracle bones, inscribed with questions about the future and used in divination rituals, further elucidate the religious practices and theocratic nature of the Shang dynasty.