1. Government & Leaders
1.1. Sumerian
1.1.1. Sumerians were leaders of Sumerian city's and states. This was because they were the servants of gods.
1.1.2. Gods were big leaders in their society. When something goes wrong in the city, they all gather around the statues.
1.1.3. Their ansesters were great influences. They believed that they created everything and that they should live how they did.
1.1.4. Priests held a very high status, they were at the top of the social class
1.2. Shang/Zhou
1.2.1. The Shang dynasty ruled from 1766 to 1122 B.C.
1.2.2. Yin dynasty ruled from 1556 to 1046 B.C.
1.2.3. Another leader was named Wen Wang. He planed to overthrow the Shang Dynasty. It took years, but finally Wen Wang's son, Wu Wang, led an army across the Yellow River to defeat the King of the Shang Dynasty, King Wu made a new dynasty, the Zhou Dynasty.
1.2.4. The early leaders of the Zhou Dynasty made the idea of the "Mandate of Heaven". This taught that the leaders gained their authority to rule from the gods. They believed that when the Zhou took over the Shang Dynasty, it was because the Shang and the gods allowed them to fail.
2. Religion
2.1. Sumerian
2.1.1. Practiced Polytheism- the worship of many gods
2.1.2. Believed that the gods controlled all natural forces
2.1.3. Thought that the gods were human-like
2.1.4. Built temples and ziggurats for the god that looked over their city
2.2. Shang/Zhou
2.2.1. Believed in an afterlife where rulers still had their servants and riches
2.2.2. They also worshiped their ancestors
2.2.3. Believed that if they offered sacrifices/ gifts to their ancestors, that they would be guaranteed a happy life
2.2.4. Asked ancestors for advice through oracle bones
3. Geography & Agriculure
3.1. Sumerian
3.1.1. Located in Mesopotamia, in the fertile crescent.
3.1.2. 10,000 years ago people started to farm; the climate grew warmer and drier.
3.1.3. Barley and weat were some of the first crops grown
3.1.4. The demestication of cattle, goats, pig and sheep.
3.2. Shang/Zhou
3.2.1. Ancient china was built in along two main rivers the Yellow River and the Yangtze River
3.2.2. In the south, people grew rice along the Yangtze river and ate a good deal of fish, together with vegetables.
3.2.3. In the south people used dogs, pigs water buffaloes and cattle to help work the soil.
3.2.4. Agriculture started really early in south china and spread soon to northern china.
4. Social Structure & Family Life
4.1. Sumerian
4.1.1. Kings, priests and agents were on top. Landowners and wealthy merchants were next. Artisans , farmers and laborers made up most of the community, and last were the slaves.
4.1.2. War cheifs took over ruling as kings when the city-states fought over dominance.
4.1.3. Women stayed at home and took care of the children. While men held power and made laws.
4.1.4. Upperclass women recieved education and were preistesses.
4.2. Shang/Zhou
4.2.1. They were ruled by kings who had courts to perform rituals to strengthen the kingdom.
4.2.2. Wealthy people in the community collected items of bronze and jade. Poor people in the community mainly farmed.
4.2.3. The rulers had down time to do leisure activities. Most of these people decided to hunt for sport.
4.2.4. Most people in this community farmed in fields to care for the crops.
5. Economy & Trade
5.1. Sumerian
5.1.1. They traded matirials across Southwest Asia.
5.1.2. Men held political power and women stayed home with children.
5.1.3. A social structure developed: at the top were priests, kings and agents. In the middle are landowners. At the bottom are laborers, artisan, and farmers.
5.1.4. Sumerians invented bronze to make better tools and weapons.
5.2. Shang/Zhou
5.2.1. First to trade silk on a large scale
5.2.2. Ox-drawn plows, crossbows, and horseback riding were all introduced for the first time, along with irrigation and water-control projects. these increased the crop production of the North China Plain.
5.2.3. They traded with Mesapotima Indus Valley Civilations
5.2.4. The Shang Dynasty based their economy off of the creation of bronze.
6. Science & Technology
6.1. Sumerian
6.1.1. Invented the wheel, in order to make pottery
6.1.2. Started to perform basic surgery on the people in their city
6.1.3. Also invented the plow and started to use bronze for tools and weapons
6.1.4. Built sewers/ sewing tools
6.2. Shang/Zhou
6.2.1. Created a precise calendar that was based on the cycle of the moon
6.2.2. Has been said that they created the first real system of money
6.2.3. Learned how to use iron for tools and weapons instead of bronze
6.2.4. Growth of the economy led to the making of roads and canals
6.2.5. Began the use of chopsticks for eating
7. Arts & Education
7.1. Sumerian
7.1.1. Made Statues with big, wide-open eyes.
7.1.2. Created small objects made of ivory.
7.1.3. They created a math system based on the number 60. This is why the hour is 60 minutes and 360 degrees is a circle.
7.1.4. Cunieform is their way of writing. They wrote mainly on clay tablets with styluses. They wrote stories,poems, and songs.
7.2. Shang/Zhou
7.2.1. Artists made bronze vessels used in religious rituals.
7.2.2. Made practical objects such as chopsticks and coins which we still use today.
7.2.3. Created confucianism which was taught by Kongfuzi. It is the expression of love and respect for others. This was used to teach about traditional matters and rituals.
7.2.4. The yin yang was made for daoism. Daoism teaches people to retreat from the laws of society and yield to the laws of nature.