1. Geography & Agriculture
1.1. Sumeria
1.1.1. Sumeria was located in mesopotamia in the fertile cresent. They were between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. It was divided into two parts: Upper mesopotamia and sumer.
1.1.2. It was the best place for farming and that leaf to more people which lead to more conflict. The climate was not the best to its people. It didn't rain a lot and the rivers flood at time like when the food is about to be harvested.
1.1.3. because of their environments they had to make new technology and methods to survive their environments
1.1.4. They had a code called hammurabi which aimed to maint a society with strict justice.It is the most complete law to appear in the East.
1.2. map
1.3. Shang/Ziou
1.3.1. people of the Shang dynasty lived off of the land, and as time passed, settled permanently on farms instead of wandering as nomads.
1.3.2. They farmed millet, wheat, rice, and barley. Hunting was common and they had domesticated animals the Shang had were pigs, dogs, sheep, oxen, and silkworms.
1.3.3. Natural borders protected this area making it a good place for a civilization.
1.3.4. seasonal monsoon winds blow north from the indian ocean over asia produce vast amounts of rainfall.
2. Religion
2.1. Sumeria
2.1.1. there was vast amounts of religions modeling and figures that would be considered art today, but they saw as a way to worship
2.1.2. The sumerians practiced a polytheistic religion, with some gods representing cosmic and terrestrial forces in their world.
2.1.3. Their religion influenced Mesopotamian mythology and it surviving in the mythologies and religions.
2.1.4. temples served as cultural, religious, and political headquarters until 2500 BCE, with the rise of military kings
2.2. Shang/Ziou
2.2.1. they have found remains of workshops, palaces, and tombs of kings and nobles.
2.2.2. All of the classes however had one thing in common religion. The major philosophies to later shape China Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism had not yet been formed.
2.2.3. Folk religion during the Shang dynasty was polytheistic, meaning the people worshiped many gods.
2.2.4. In addition the God worshiped by all peaple during the Shang Dynasty was Shang Ti the "lord on high".
3. Economy & Trade
3.1. Sumeria
3.1.1. Slaves were used by the ancient Sumerians but but not as widely as some others at the time, most work was done freely just for the good of the community
3.1.2. In ancient Sumeria, trade job such as pottery and basket weaving were very highly valued in their communities, both from the fiscal gains as well as the material advantages.
3.1.3. Wood was very rare in Mesopotamia, but trade was established with tribes from Lebanon to import most that was needed, this was a very valuable necessity
3.1.4. Small ferries used the Tigris and Euphrates River to transported people and goods to different cities.
3.2. Shang/Ziou
3.2.1. Shang rulers attached great importance to agriculture.
3.2.2. Fishing began to grow as an industry as the people fished in the fresh waters.
3.2.3. 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.
3.2.4. The most famous bronze work from this time is the Simuwu Quadripod, weighing 832.84 kg (about 1836 pounds) it is the largest and heaviest Chinese bronze vessel.
4. Social Structure & Family Life
4.1. Sumeria
4.1.1. Most Sumarians were very close knit groups for 4 to 5 people
4.1.2. IF a man was in serious debt, he could sell his wife and children into slavery, at the time this would even be a better life for them
4.1.3. Nobles, priests, government officials and warriors made up the upper class. Middle class was merchants, traders and artisans. Slaves were in the lowest class.
4.1.4. Women were protected by late Sumerian law and were able to achieve a higher status than in other contemporary civilizations, but it was still male-dominated.
4.2. Shang/Ziou
4.2.1. the social structure had the king on top, then military nobility, priests, merchants, and farmers.
4.2.2. Burials was one way which the social classes were distinguished. Elite were buried in elaborate pit tombs with various objects. The lesser classes were buried in pits of varying size based on status. People in the lowest class were sometimes tossed down wells.
4.2.3. For family life it was very important in Shang Dynasty
4.2.4. The oldest of the male was the hard working of the family and the women was taking care of her child or cooking
5. Arts & Education
5.1. Sumeria
5.1.1. The potter's wheel let artists make pots much more quickly, so that they became cheaper and more widely used.
5.1.2. Right from the beginning, these jars were of very high quality.
5.1.3. Even when the sumarians began to carve sculptures out of stone they kept this round soft look at least compared too egyptian sculptures.
5.1.4. Around the same time people began to carve fancy cylinder seal is a small piece of stone or clay in the shape of the cylinder that will fit in your purse or hang on a string like a necklace.
5.2. Shang/Ziou
5.2.1. As far back as Shane Dynasty inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells were the simple records of teaching and learning. There are called Oracle Bones recorded divination used by the shang royal house
5.2.2. If kids don't get education they won't turn out good they wont learn
5.2.3. A good education has always been valued as people that education ensures not only development of the individual but also the family and the country as a whole.
5.2.4. The records tell us that Mencius' mother became an example to millions of mothers who were keen for their children to be talented.
6. Science and Technology
6.1. Sumeria
6.1.1. Sumerian technology include geometry, Igration system, lunisolar calendar, bronze, saws, chisels, hammers, rings, waterskins etc.
6.1.2. It took our culture 2000 years from rome just too get to the horseless carriage and most of our explosive advancement has just been in the last 100 years.
6.1.3. Sumerians invented pre- cuneiform Sumerian writing which later developed into cuneiform Sumerian writing
6.1.4. They also invented a kind of beer made from fermented barley,desserts made of dates,honey and cheese,and a set of songs that were sung in the temples, a sort of forerunner of church chiors
6.2. Shang/Ziou
6.2.1. Shang armies were very powerful and used weapons made of bronze. They discovered a mixture of copper and tin that made bronze.
6.2.2. the first Chinese Dynasty to have a recored history and invent writing was the Shang. It is fairly similar to modern Chinese script
6.2.3. They had developed complex forms of irrigation and flood control to guard against floor from nearby rivers.
6.2.4. They invented chopsticks and they are a big part of Chinese culture.
7. Government & Leaders
7.1. Sumeria
7.1.1. Sumerian Leadership was maintained mostly by men and women were in the minority, but not to say there were no women at all. Sometimes women were in religious positions of power as well as city planners or jobs that did not require much labor
7.1.2. Had government that was a combination of monarchy and democracy. the Sumer kings were organized into city-states and each one were ruled by a king.
7.1.3. Priests ruled Sumer before 3500 B.C.E., once kings started to rule they assisdted the king. Scribes and nobles also assisted the king.
7.1.4. All Sumeria cities had a building call a Ziggurat in the center, they were places of worship and gatherings
7.2. Shang/Ziou
7.2.1. monarchy in which the king was both lawmaker and judge, Kings depended on strong armies to maintain their rule and to defend their kingdoms
7.2.2. They collected taxes from the people and tributes from surrounding alies
7.2.3. Prisoners of war were almost always used as human sacrifice and laborer .
7.2.4. Shang had a fairly organized society and government.