1. Government and Leaders
1.1. Sumerians
1.1.1. Sumer was divided into independent City-States
1.1.2. Warfare between cities led to the rise of kings called lugals
1.1.3. By 2375 B.C most of Sumer was united under one king, Lugalzaggisi, of Umma
1.1.4. Higher class people painted their faces with makeup
1.2. Shang/Zhou
1.2.1. Was a powerful political and military power that was conquered by the people of Zhou
1.2.2. The Zhou dynasty was Chinas longest lasting dynasty
1.2.3. First historical figure was King Wen of Zhou, he became king in 1099 B.C he came up with a plan to take down the Shang Dynesty
1.2.4. Centralized government and planning, began the Chinese culture
2. Religion
2.1. Sumerians
2.1.1. Organized and ruled by a priesthood
2.1.2. Considered to be servant slaves of the temple
2.1.3. Problems were thought to be caused by the will of the gods
2.1.4. Made sculptures of specific Gods they worshiped
2.2. Shang/Zhou
2.2.1. The Shang people buried their people of worship by putting them in beautifully decorated tombs and pottery, jade objects and bronze were buried with them to show respect
2.2.2. When someone of importance passed they sacrificed ministers, servants, and slaves and buried them together
2.2.3. The main religious belief systems were Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism.
2.2.4. The belief of after life was divided into three tiers Heaven, Earth, and underworld
3. Geography & Agriculture
3.1. Sumerians
3.1.1. Southernmost reason of Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq and Kuwait
3.1.2. Settled near Tigris and Euphrates rivers
3.1.3. Was in the fertile crescent
3.1.4. Originally from Delmun according to ancient literature
3.2. Shang/Zhou
3.2.1. The Shang domesticated animals such as pigs, dogs, sheep, oxen, and even silkworms.
3.2.2. The Shang Dynasty created forms of irrigation and flood control systems
3.2.3. Their important food sources were millet, wheat, rice, and barley crops
3.2.4. The people of Shang relied on the land versus being nomads
4. Arts and Education
4.1. Sumerians
4.1.1. First potters wheel was made in Sumer soon after 3500 B.C
4.1.2. Civilians made sculptures that advanced in time to serve the needs of the temple
4.1.3. Scribes wrote on clay tablets with writing similar to Egyptian hieroglyphs
4.1.4. Sumerians contributed to the development of metalworking, wheeled carts, and potters wheels
4.2. Shang/Zhou
4.2.1. The Zhou dynasty was the first to use silk as a material to draw and paint on
4.2.2. Bronze was first used to make candle holders and mirrors
4.2.3. All knowledge was taught orally in school
4.2.4. It was a tradition for ancient kings and emperors to select well-educated officials to help assist their kindoms
5. Social Structure and Family
5.1. Sumerian
5.1.1. King and his family were at th top of society, then priests and nobles, other merchants as well as artisans followed by peasants
5.1.2. Clans or extended families owned most of the land in city states
5.1.3. Civilians told stories about their gods
5.1.4. The husband and father was the master of the household
5.2. Shang/Zhou
5.2.1. The Zhou people ruled with the social hierarchy of confucian meaning emperors are most important , with scholars following at a close second, farmers, merchants, then slaves and women
5.2.2. Higher classes responsible for governing lower classes
5.2.3. Peasants consisted mostly of farmers
5.2.4. "Middle class" worked mainly with bronze
6. Economy and Trade
6.1. Sumerians
6.1.1. Mud, clay, and reeds were the only materials the Sumerians had in abundance
6.1.2. Merchants exchanged products of Sumerian industry for wood, stone, and metals
6.1.3. Bulky goods were moved by boat on rivers and canals
6.1.4. People could pursue occupations other than farming
6.2. Shang/Zhou
6.2.1. River helped strengthen economy
6.2.2. Bronze represented power and wealth
6.2.3. Agriculture was a huge part of the trading economy
6.2.4. Slave labor was not part of the economy, they were considered "state-owned" and worked for the state
7. Science and Technology
7.1. Sumerians
7.1.1. Sumerians contributed to the development of metal working, wheeled crafts, and the potters wheel
7.1.2. The plow had been invented
7.1.3. by 3000 B.C the Sumerians could make tools by melting copper and tin to make bronze
7.1.4. Created a calendar based off lunar activity
7.2. Shang/Zhou
7.2.1. The Zhou discovered magnitism
7.2.2. The Zhou used basic arithmetic, fractions, geometry, trigonometry, and calculations
7.2.3. They studied astronomy and astrological events
7.2.4. They used pesticides and fertilizers