1. Economy and Trade
1.1. Sumeria
1.1.1. Traded for supplies needed for art and building
1.1.2. Men held political power and made laws while Women took care of the home and children.
1.2. Shang/Zhou
1.2.1. Most of the work was done by the peasants, the nobles just ordered them around
1.2.2. Agriculture, Bronze, Trade, Iron, Made Weapons
2. Geography and Agriculture
2.1. Sumeria
2.1.1. As early as 5500 BC people were farming in southern Mesopotamia.
2.1.2. In the Fertile Crescent, within the region some of the richest Soil lies between two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates.
2.2. Shang/Zhou
2.2.1. Floods along the Chang Jiang and the Huang He deposited rich Soil on the banks. The valley of the Huang He was particularly fertile, due in large part to the type of soil that the river picked up.
2.2.2. Further north along the Huang He, the climate Was cooler and drier. That region was Suitable for grains such as Wheat and millet.
3. Religion
3.1. Shang/Zhou
3.1.1. The Shang/Zhou had 2 different religions. Confucianism and Daoism.
3.1.2. Shang religion relied on ancestor worship.The Shang offered gifts to their deceased ancestors in order to keep them happy and fulfîlled ín the afterlife.
3.2. Sumeria
3.2.1. The Sumerians practiced Polytheism, or the worship of many gods.
3.2.2. War Chiefs ruled as kings.
4. Social Structure and Family Life
4.1. Sumeria
4.1.1. The men went and did all of the labor type work
4.1.2. The women usually took care of the children and just kind of maintained themselves
4.2. Shang/Zhou
4.2.1. Regional rulers and wealthy landowners
4.2.2. Men living during the Shang thought the only ‘point’ of women was to bare children, to give birth to a beautiful son.
5. Government and Leaders
5.1. Sumeria
5.1.1. War Chiefs ruled as kings.
5.1.2. Performed ceremonies to please the gods
5.2. Shang/Zhou
5.2.1. The Zhou introduced the idea that they were ruled by the Mandate of Heaven. This said that they would not let anyone corrupt hold power.
5.2.2. Shang were overthrown, the Zhou explained,was because they had lost the gods’ favor:
6. Arts and Education
6.1. Sumeria
6.1.1. They had a writing called cuneiform
6.1.2. Developed a open math system based on the number 60
6.2. Shang/Zhou
6.2.1. The schools to teach the youth nobles were divided into "lower" and upper. The government founded five national schools to educate Six Arts of junior nobles. It depended on the education of the person, not the wealth.
6.2.2. At that time, numerous different schools enrolled the students. The most famous one was the Confucianism and its leader Confucius was seen as the founder of education for the people.
7. Science and Technology
7.1. Sumeria
7.1.1. Had all sorts of tools for farming and hunting
7.1.2. Learned how to domesticate.
7.2. Shang/Zhou
7.2.1. The Zhou were the first to gather silk from silkworms by feeding them mulberry leaves. It became China's largest industry and biggest export.
7.2.2. Iron tools eventually beat bronze weapons because they were cheaper and better for war. Iron became widespread and an important feature to everyday life.