7 Aspects of Civilization

1. Religion

1.1. sumerians Practiced polytheism.

1.2. sumerians Believed all gods controlled natural forces

1.3. sumerians Worked hard to make ziggurats to please their gods.

1.4. shang/zhou believed in an after life in which the ruler would need his servants and belongings

1.5. shang/zhou also offered gifts to their deceased ancestors to please them

2. Arts and Education

2.1. sumerians Had a form of writing called cuneiform.

2.2. sumerians Developed a math system based on the number 60.

2.3. sumerians Also learned how to use geometry.

2.4. sumerians Used arches, ramps, and columns on their ziggurats.

2.5. shang/zhou developed a writing system

2.6. shang/zhou built huge stable structures like tombs

2.7. shang/zhou made one of the finest systems of money

3. Science and Technology

3.1. sumerians Developed an irrigation system and made complex structures.

3.2. sumerians Invented the wheel, the plow, and developed bronze.

3.3. sumerians Collected a lot of medical knowledge and performed basic surgery.

3.4. shang/zhou developed a use of bronze in their work

3.5. shang/zhou created the catapult and cavalry

4. Government and Leaders

4.1. sumerians had one king that they looked up to, he wold performed ceremony's to please the gods

4.2. The sumerian priests held high status in the summer and governed the city's/states

4.3. shang/zhou had a court system with a king to rule the courts and their decisions while the king also had a large army

5. Social Structure and Family Life

5.1. Sumer had a distinct ranking at the top were kings, priests, and agents in the middle there were large land owners and wealthy merchants and at the bottom there was artisans, farmers, and laborers.

5.2. shang/zhou had the highest member was the king down to the court system and then anyone below that following the basic social structure

6. Economy and Trade

6.1. Sumer lacked raw materials so they had to trade a lot to get what they needed.

6.2. sumerians traded their woven textiles for wood and metal.

6.3. sumerians traded with people from Southwest Asia and beyond.

6.4. shang/zhou bronze and iron works were the backbone of their economy

7. Geography and Agriculture

7.1. sumerians Had a ziggurat in the center of town surrounded by houses with a wall around the whole city and then crops on the outside

7.2. shang/zhou was mostly agriculture and spent most of their time in the fields working on crops