1. Social Structure and Family Life
1.1. Sumeria
1.1.1. Most scribe workers were men and some upper class women
1.1.2. Social hierarchy from trade; Top- king, priest and their principle agents; Next- large land owners, and wealthy merchants; Next- artisans, farmers and laborers; Bottom- slaves
1.1.3. Men held political power and made laws
1.1.4. Women took care of home and kids
1.2. Shang/Zhou
1.2.1. Farmers were called upon to work with slaves on building projects
1.2.2. Family was important
1.2.3. The King and his nobles sat at the top of the social ladder
1.2.4. Warriors were very powerful
2. Economy and Trade
2.1. Sumeria
2.1.1. Traded across southwest asia
2.1.2. Traded woven textiles for metals, timber and stone
2.1.3. Jobs included pottery makers, stonecutters, bricklayers, metal smiths, farmers, fishers, shepherds, weavers, leather-workers, and sailors
2.1.4. Economy was based on agriculture
2.2. Shang/Zhou
2.2.1. First system of money
2.2.2. Introduced coins to china
2.2.3. Main income came from farming or the harvest of crops
2.2.4. Silk became main export
3. Religion
3.1. Sumeria
3.1.1. City center a large temple
3.1.2. Practiced polytheism
3.1.3. Believed gods were like humans
3.1.4. Worked hard to pleasure gods
3.1.5. Built ziggurats and temples where gods were offered food
3.2. Shang/Zhou
3.2.1. Shang tombs contained valuable items made of bronze and jade
3.2.2. Hundreds of prisoners burned with ruler
3.2.3. Afterlife ruler needed its riches and servents
3.2.4. Ancestor worship
3.2.5. Ask advice from ancestors through oracle bones
4. Geography and Agriculture
4.1. Sumeria
4.1.1. Live in the fertile cresent
4.1.2. Some of the richest soil here
4.1.3. Between Tigris and Euphrates rivers
4.1.4. Geographic conditions helped bring about the rise of the world's first civilization
4.1.5. Grew wheat and barley (surplus of food)
4.1.6. Received little rain, depended on mountains
4.1.7. Rivers could overflow and wash away crops and villages
4.1.8. Stored water in basins, canals, and dikes
4.2. Shang/Zhou
4.2.1. Spent time tending crops
4.2.2. Very diverse geographical landscape
4.2.3. Mountains around the area
4.2.4. Wei River Valley
4.2.5. Yellow River
5. Arts and Education
5.1. Sumeria
5.1.1. Made a wheel for pottery
5.1.2. Arches, ramps and columns
5.1.3. Most famous for cylinder seats (used to sign documents or to show ownership
5.1.4. Religious themed art
5.2. Shang/Zhou
5.2.1. Decorative bronze vessels and objects (used for religion)
5.2.2. Excellent bronze workers
5.2.3. Pottery decorated with art
5.2.4. Made pots, bowls and figurines
6. Science and Technology
6.1. Sumeria
6.1.1. Learned a writing system
6.1.2. World's first writing system called cuneiform
6.1.3. Made styluses to write with
6.1.4. Developed a math system based on the number 60
6.1.5. Made a wheel for pottery/variety of venicies
6.1.6. Invented plow
6.1.7. Figured out how to make bronze tools
6.1.8. Basic surgery
6.1.9. Sewing machines developed
6.2. Shang/Zhou
6.2.1. Had free time to hunt as a sport and wealthy collect bronze or jade
6.2.2. Oracle bones
6.2.3. Build tombs, precise calendar (based on phase of the moon)
6.2.4. Learned how to make iron
6.2.5. Building roads and canals
6.2.6. Used chopsticks
7. Government and Leaders
7.1. Sumeria
7.1.1. Created a city state
7.1.2. Defensive wall around the city
7.1.3. Created a dynasty
7.1.4. War chiefs became kings
7.2. Shang/Zhou
7.2.1. Strong monarchy (surrounded by wealthy nobles)
7.2.2. Governors to rule distant parts of land
7.2.3. large army for fighting opponents and preventing rebellions
7.2.4. Mandate of heaven
7.2.5. Dynastic cycle