1. Geography & Agriculture
1.1. Shang/Zhou
1.1.1. their civilizations started with river valleys unlike the others in Europe and Asia
1.1.2. Other parts of China were better for growing different
1.1.3. In northern China it rained more so it's better for rice to grow than it would in the south
1.1.4. they were blessed with rich soil,river streams
1.2. Sumerians
1.2.1. overtime they developed a water system they dug in the ground to store rain water
1.2.2. where they lived the had this cretin area called the fertile crescent, this was a very important thing to their society.
1.2.3. They lived in between two major rivers the Tigris and the Euphrates
1.2.4. The word Mesopotamia in Greek translates to 'between the rivers'
2. Science and Technology
2.1. Sumerians
2.1.1. They used basins to store rain water, channels to bring water to the crops and also channels to bring water away from the crops when the water leaves grow to high.
2.2. Shang/Zhou
2.2.1. The Shang/Zhou people developed a proses of melting bronze and iron. They used it for weapons and art.
2.2.2. They made tools that helped them with farming thus creating surpluses of crops.
2.2.3. With the investments in bronze and iron and the surpluses on crops they were able to expand their army which proved extra protection.
2.2.4. The Zhou were able to make roads, channels, and much more. And all this was possible by the surpluses of food.
3. Economy And Trade
3.1. Sumerians
3.1.1. Jobs included pottery makers, stonecutters, bricklayers, metal smiths, farmers, fishers, shepherds, weavers, leather-workers, and sailors.
3.1.2. Seals had been used to stamp a carved insignia on clay before cylindrical seals became widespread for labeling commodities and legal documents.
3.1.3. Pictographic writing was first used by the Sumerians about 3400, and by 3000 BC this had evolved into cuneiform words and syllables.
3.1.4. The Sumerian economy was based on agriculture, which was influenced by major technological advances in Mesopotamian history. Early Sumerian homes were huts built from bundles of reeds, which went on to be built from sun-baked mud bricks because of the shortage of stone.
3.2. Shang/Zhou
3.2.1. As for the economical and agricultural root crops the land of China during King Tang’s reign was very much prosperous with the wide spread production of their dominant crops such as millet, wheat, rice, mulberry, hemp and barley, as well as the cultivation of various animals such as dogs, silkworms, pigs, farm sheep’s and ox.
3.2.2. The method of fishing also arise during the Shang Dynasty as well as other type of commodity exchange like trading crops for another, settling deals with people from different city exchanging goods for another and so.
3.2.3. The method of fishing also arise during the Shang Dynasty as well as other type of commodity exchange like trading crops for another, settling deals with people from different city exchanging goods for another and so.
3.2.4. The Shang Dynasty was considered as the mark of China’s Bronze Age since the utilization of bronze compound was greatly practiced during this era plus improvements on the bronze structures also took place at this point in time.
4. Arts And Education
4.1. Sumerians
4.1.1. The Sumerians were known for their detailed recorders. The used the clay tokens for keeping track of taxes, crop production, and much more
4.1.2. The Sumerians were likely to have been the ones to develop the first writing langue. Such as clay tokens shown above.
4.1.3. The first love song, The first aquarium, and the first precedents in court cases were all things that the sumerians came up with. It just shows how intelligent these people were. They also came up with a system of numbers that went to 60.
4.1.4. The Sumerian people realized that with all the things that they had come up with they need places to put it and ways to keep it organized and safe. They came up with the idea of clay pot like things that held the clay tokens. They helped prevent theft and also helped with organized and also keep their food, water, and 'money' safe.
4.2. Shang/Zhou
4.2.1. Shang/Zhou people used pictures and symbols as their written language.
4.2.2. The Shang/Zhou people also made a calendar to help them keep track of days. They used the moon to do this.
4.2.3. They commonly wrote on bones them selves. They would use pictures and symbols
4.2.4. The Shang/Zhou made their art of bronze usually. They made hairpins, sculpture and so on.
5. Religion
5.1. sumerians
5.1.1. the religion they practiced was polytheism they,believed in many gods.
5.1.2. they believed that the gods controlled the narural forces of the earth
5.2. they believed that they were human like and they did natural everyday things just like them.
5.3. They had different gods for each city-sate which is a town/tribe and they have a god that is just for their protection or something important to them.
5.4. Shang/Zhou
5.4.1. they put their faith in their ancestors and want a happy afterlife
5.4.2. they had a lot of memorial tombs for the people and kings/gods
5.4.3. They sought out for advise from their ancestors, they used oracle bones to reach them
5.4.4. New node
5.4.4.1. New node
5.4.5. They also used writing or symbols or pictures to try to reach their ancestors
6. Social Structure And Family
6.1. Sumerians
6.1.1. Although farmers were essential for most things in Sumerian civilization, they were not high up in the social class.
6.1.2. One could become a slave by being captured in war, selling yourself into slavery to pay off debt, being sold as a punishment for a crime, and many other way.
6.1.3. Merchants, traders and artisans made up the middle class or "freeman" class.
6.1.4. Upper class contained nobles, priests, government officials and warriors.
6.2. Shang/Zhou
6.2.1. On top of the dynasty came the king or the emperor. Only sons or relatives could become future king.
6.2.2. Zhou dynasty was an ancient Chinese dynasty which was preceded by the Qin dynasty and followed by the Shang dynasty
6.2.3. After the king came the nobles. The nobles were expected to serve the king throughout their life. Thus giving them certain powers,
6.2.4. After the nobles came the Gong, then the Hou, then the Bo, then the Zi, then the Nan. Nan was the lowest social ranking.
7. Government & Leaders
7.1. Sumerians
7.1.1. The king and the nobles were the ones who made the laws. They also decided when to go to war and how to honor the gods.
7.1.2. There was an assembly of people who could overrule the king, and if the king was smart enough he would listen to them.
7.1.3. The Sumerians, to our knowledge, did not write down their laws. The king would make a law and everybody would be expected to follow that law.
7.1.4. There were laws that citizens must obey or they would be punished. The invention of government is often credited to the Sumerians.
7.2. Shang/Zhou
7.2.1. The Shang Dynasty is believed to be founded by a rebel leader, perhaps named T’ang, who overthrew the previous leader of Xia China.
7.2.2. Warlords often ruled areas of land, but owed allegiance to the king and would provide soldiers during times of war.
7.2.3. The government collected taxes from the people and tributes from surrounding allies.
7.2.4. The most famous king of the Shan was Wu Ding. He ruled for 58 years.