1. Social Structure and Family Life
1.1. Sumerian
1.1.1. The structure consisted of kings and priests at the top and below them were weathly merchants and landowners
1.1.2. The majority of the sumerians were farmers and laborers
1.1.3. The lowest class in their social structure were the slaves
1.1.4. Men often held the political powers but on occasions, some women received education
1.2. Shang Dynasty
1.2.1. Many families often spent their time in the fields working on their crops
1.2.2. Many farmers were not always on the farms. They often got called up to enroll in the army.
1.2.3. Farmers also had to sometimes watch slaves as they built temples and other miscellaneous buildings
1.2.4. Many members of the eliete had free time to hunt for sport, and weathly members collected expensive objects.
2. Science and Technology
2.1. Sumerians
2.1.1. Sumerians developed a math system based off the number 60
2.1.2. They divided hours into 60 minutes, and they divided circles into 360 degrees.
2.1.3. They invented the wheel and with that they created pottery.
2.1.4. They also invented the plow and made stronger tools out of bronze.
2.2. Shang Dynasty
2.2.1. They wrote on oracle bones
2.2.2. They used bronze to make materials and items
2.2.3. They built huge structural tombs
2.2.4. Shang astronomers made precise calanders based of the positions of the moon
3. Arts and Education
3.1. Sumerian
3.1.1. Small stone cylinders with detail engraved all around them, also known as cylkinder seals, is one of the most famous works of art in Sumer history.
3.1.2. Arches, ramps, and columns were all big parts in Sumer architecture.
3.1.3. People liked to show their ownership by signing cylinder seals.
3.1.4. As for education, their language was taught to them in cuneiform which was created by the Akkadians
3.2. Shang Dynasty
3.2.1. The people of the Shang Dynasty are very famous for making their Bronze art
3.2.2. Pottery was also a very common form of art used to make bowls, and other various pieces of art.
3.2.3. Inscribing on bones was one of the ways members of the dynasty were tought to.
4. Economy and Trade
4.1. Sumerian
4.1.1. Trade was a big part of life for Sumerians. They acquired materials for arts and buildings through trade
4.1.2. Many raw materials like wood and metals were not east for Sumers to acquire. This is where trade comes in. People from Southwest Asia exchanged their raw materials to the Sumers for their woven textiles.
4.1.3. As for the economy, men held political power and they made the laws. Women stayed home and attended to the children.
4.1.4. At the top of the social scale were kings and priests, then came the merchants and landowners below them were the farmers and laborers. Higher up in the social scale meant more economical powers.
4.2. Shang Dynasty
4.2.1. Agriculture was a big part in the Shang community.
4.2.2. Bronze making was very common and was a big part in their economy and trade business.
5. New Topic
6. Government and leaders
6.1. Sumerian
6.1.1. War kings often became kings when they were in search of dominate city-states.
6.1.2. These kings often served the Gods as their chief representatives.
6.1.3. Kings often performed ceremonies to please the Gods.
6.1.4. It was very common to have continuous rulers from the same family often called dynasties.
6.2. Shang Dynasty
6.2.1. Ruled by a strong monarchy, which is a series of kings.
6.2.2. The king is surrounded by a court who come up with ideas in order to make the kingdom better
6.2.3. The king often had govenors to rule other distant parts of the kingdom
6.2.4. The king also would have large army's that were often used to fight against rebellions.
7. Religion
7.1. Sumerian
7.1.1. polytheistic religion with human like gods that represent the forces in their world such as the the Greeks and Roman
7.1.2. Because the Sumerians believed that Gods were like humans, They worked very hard to please them
7.1.3. Ziggurats and temples were built in order for the priest to offer the gods food and drink.
7.1.4. Priests often held high spots in the social structure and often dynasties were formed which was a series of rulers from one family.
7.2. Shang Dynasty
7.2.1. The people believed in an afterlife in which the ruler still needed his workers and riches in the afterlife
7.2.2. The shang believed also in giving the dead gifts to keep them happy in the afterlife
7.2.3. Valuable items made of bronze were often buried in ones tomb when they died.
7.2.4. Shangs often used oracle bones to seek advice through their ancestors.
8. Geography and Agricultre
8.1. Sumerian
8.1.1. The Fertile Crescent was a huge contributor to the Sumers life style. The Fertile Crescent was a huge oasis that went through the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf.
8.1.2. The Fertile Crescent provided rich soil which was a very important part in farming
8.1.3. Between these two rivers, The Tigris and the Euphrates, lied much of the richest soil.
8.1.4. The area between the two rivers was known as "Mesopotamia".
8.2. Shang Dynasty
8.2.1. The Yangzi and the Yellow Rivers supplied most of the water for Chinas first civilizations.
8.2.2. Loess was a type of soil that made the Huang He Valley very fertile.
8.2.3. Southern China along the Chang Jiang was perfect for growing rice because it was warm and it received plenty rainfall.
8.2.4. Much of China is covered with mountains, hills, and deserts.