1. Sumerians
1.1. Government and Leaders
1.1.1. King Hammurabi, who ruled from 1792-1750 BC, had the laws inscribed on stone stelae which he placed in various temples throughout his realm.
1.1.2. Hammurabi's role was to act as guardian and protector of the weak and powerless.
1.1.3. Hammurabi also had to pay close attention to the specific needs of the important sponsors in the many cities incorporated into his territory.
1.1.4. Massive palaces reflected the power that rulers held over an empire that stretched from Egypt to Iran.
1.2. Religion
1.2.1. The ancient Mesopotamians worshipped hundreds of gods, each with his/her own name and contribution to daily life.
1.2.2. carved stone figures were placed in Mesopotamian temples by worshippers to stand in perpetual prayer.
1.2.3. Anu father of gods, Utu is the sun god and lord of truth and justice, and Nanna the god of the moon, those are examples of the sun and moon types of gods the sumarians have
1.2.4. Ordinary people depended on a relationship with their own personal god - a kind of guardian angel.
1.3. Economy and trade
1.3.1. Jobs included pottery makers, stonecutters, bricklayers, metal smiths, farmers, fishers, shepherds, weavers, leather-workers, and sailors.
1.3.2. The Sumerian economy was based on agriculture, which was influenced by major technological advances in Mesopotamian history.
1.3.3. Seals had been used to stamp a carved insignia on clay before cylindrical seals became widespread for labeling commodities and legal documents.
1.3.4. The Sumerian economy was based on agriculture, which was influenced by major technological advances in Mesopotamian history.
1.4. Science and Technology
1.4.1. The wheel was invented for carts, chariots, and pottery making.
1.4.2. Sumerians would have ploughed with stone and cut with clay sickles, and went on to using metal ploughs with the development of metal-working.
1.4.3. They came up with the concept of dividing the hour into 60 minutes and the minute into 60 seconds.
1.4.4. Sumerians developed a complex system of sewers and flush toilets to rid cities of waste and unhealthy affects of swamps.
1.5. Geography And Agriculture
1.5.1. Sumerians caught many fish and hunted fowl and gazelle.
1.5.2. In the early Sumerian period, the primitive pictograms suggest that "The sheep, goat, ox and probably ass had been domesticated, the ox being used for draught, and woollen clothing as well as rugs were made from the wool or hair.
1.5.3. They grew barley, chickpeas, lentils, wheat, dates, onions, garlic, lettuce, leeks and mustard.
1.5.4. They also raised cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. They used oxen as their primary beasts of burden and donkeys or equids as their primary transport animal.
1.6. Arts and Education
1.6.1. Male statues stand or sit with hands clasped in an attitude of prayer. They are often naked above the waist and wear a woolen skirt curiously woven in a pattern that suggests overlapping petals.
1.6.2. The Warka Vase, is the oldest ritual vase in carved stone discovered in ancient Sumeria and can be dated to round about 3000 B.C. or probably 4th-3rd millennium B.C. It shows men entering the presence of his gods.
1.6.3. The Sumerians developed a complex system of metrology. This metrology advanced resulting in the creation of arithmetic, geometry, and algebra.
1.6.4. Different types of goods were represented by different symbols, and multiple quantities represented by repetition. Three units of grain were denoted by three 'grain-marks', five jars of oil were denoted by five 'oil-marks' and so on.
1.7. Social structure and Family Life
1.7.1. Social Classes: - Upper class contained nobles, priests, government officials and warriors. - Merchants, traders and artisans made up a Middle or "Freeman" Class. - and then the slaves made up the rest of it at the lowest class.
1.7.2. Those farmers who failed to harvest enough to keep themselves in food and seed borrowed from those who had wealth in surplus. Those who borrowed hoped that their next harvest would give them the surplus they needed to repay their loan.
1.7.3. Sumerian priests who had once worked the fields alongside others, soon were separated from commoners. A corporation run by priests became the greatest landowners among the Sumerians. The priests hired the poor to work their land and claimed that land was really owned by the gods.
1.7.4. Woman were not free. Men dominate women as they were physically stronger. They often ruled women by brute force always making the decisions.
2. Shang/Zhou
2.1. Religion
2.1.1. Most shang tombs contained valuable items made of brinze and jade.
2.1.2. Each tomb held the remains of hundreds of sacrificed prisoners of war who were buried with the ruler.
2.1.3. Shang believed in an afterlife in which a ruler would still need his riches and servants.
2.1.4. Shang religion centered on the idea of ancestor worship. Shang offered gifts to there ancestors to keep them happy in the afterlife.
2.2. Science and Technology
2.2.1. The shang are perhaps best known for their skill in making bronze objects, such as tools.
2.2.2. The shang used bronze vessels to write in.
2.2.3. The Shang people were one of the first to create and use glass.
2.2.4. The Shang people made irrigation systems to domesticate their crops.
2.3. Economy and Trade
2.3.1. During the western Zhou period, goods circulated mostly through tribute and gift rather than trade.
2.3.2. The shang traded flint and obsidian to make tools.
2.3.3. The Shang major food sources was fishing, as it was a very important job
2.3.4. In the handicraft industry, the work was subtly allotted to many different workers and crafts were made in large quantities and varieties, showcasing the different techniques used during this time.
2.4. Government and Leaders
2.4.1. Shang China was rules by a strong army.
2.4.2. Their capital city of Anyang was where the kings stayed.
2.4.3. At the city of Anyang the kings were surrounded by a court, which is where wealthy nobles preform rituals that were thought to keep the kingdom safe.
2.4.4. With the Zhou dynasty they were ruled by the Mandate of Heaven. That is the principle that the Gods would support as a ruler.
2.5. Geography and Agriculture
2.5.1. Shang China was largely an agricultural society.
2.5.2. Many people worked long days in the feilds, tending to crops.
2.5.3. Sometimes farmers were called up to fight as soldiers in the army or to work along slaves to build things such as tombs, palaces, or walls.
2.5.4. Both dynasties lived along the Huang He River.
2.6. Arts and Education
2.6.1. The Shang Dynasty was most well known for their skill in making objects out of bronze.
2.6.2. The Zhou Dynasty was mostly known for their metalworks.
2.6.3. The Zhou Dynasty learned how to use iron and gave them a huge advantage in weaponry and was cheaper than metal.
2.6.4. With both dynasties there was 2 different education systems, one for the rich and one for the poor.
2.7. Social Structure and Family Life
2.7.1. The King was the highest possible social class for both the Zhou Dynasty and Shang Dynasty.
2.7.2. Slaves or peasants were the lowest possible social class for both dynasties.
2.7.3. In the middle of those two classes were the nobles, farmers, traders, and warriors.
2.7.4. Many people worked as farmers, priests, or made weapons and things we call artifacts today.