1. Religion
1.1. Sumeria
1.1.1. Practiced Polytheism.
1.1.2. Believed that the gods protected each city-state.
1.1.3. Religion shaped life in city-states.
1.1.4. Believed that the gods were like humans in many ways.
1.2. Shang/Zhou
1.2.1. The conflicts of the late Zhou period led many Chinese thinkers to question the nature of society and of peoples roles in it.
1.2.2. The two influential philosophies in Chinese history were Confucianism and Daoism
1.2.3. Confucianism believed that they should love and respect others by practicing traditional manners and rituals which included honoring ones ancestors.
1.2.4. Daoism focuses on improving society.
2. Geography and Agriculture
2.1. Sumeria
2.1.1. Dug basins to store rainwater, canals to carry water to fields, and dikes to control floods.
2.1.2. People began farming in 550 B.C. in Southern Mesopotamia.
2.1.3. The agriculture of Sumeria includes all of the arches, ramps, and columns all visible on the Ziggurats.
2.1.4. Each city and the land it controlled formed a city-state.
2.1.5. Map of river civilizations for Sumeria
2.2. Shang/Zhou
2.2.1. Map of river civilizations for Shang/Zhou..
2.2.2. China's first civilizations developed in river valleys.
2.2.3. The Yangzi and the Huang He river supplied water to China's earliest civilizations.
2.2.4. Annual floods along the Huang He and the Yangzi rivers deposited rich soil that the river picked up.
2.2.5. Isolated valleys.
3. Science and Technology
3.1. Sumeria
3.1.1. Invented wheel which was used to make pottery and build a variety of vehicles.
3.1.2. They started to perform basic surgery.
3.1.3. Developed a math system based on the number 60.
3.1.4. Invented the plow.
3.2. Shang/Zhou
3.2.1. Writing system was based of oracle bones
3.2.2. Iron was the backbone of society
3.2.3. Farmers learned new techniques that increased the size of their harvests
3.2.4. They learned how to create more efficiently using iron.
3.2.5. Tools made of iron
4. Arts and Education
4.1. Sumeria
4.1.1. People used cylinder seals to sign documents or show ownership.
4.1.2. Sumerian writing is also called Cuneiform.
4.1.3. Sumerian sculptures include statues with large wide-open eyes as well as small objects carved out of ivory.
4.1.4. Going to school to be a scribe took many years of schooling and was one of the hardest occupations to achieve.
4.2. Shang/Zhou
4.2.1. Before the Zhou Dynasty, metalwork in China was done almost exclusively in Bronze
4.2.2. Iron became the backbone of the economy
4.2.3. Early Shang texts used picture symbols to represent objects or ideas
4.2.4. They developed Chinese writing that used picture symbols to represent objects or ideas
4.2.5. Shang texts
5. Social Structure and Family Life
5.1. Sumeria
5.1.1. Men held political power and made laws, while women took care of home and children.
5.1.2. As trade enriched, a distinct social ranking for everyone developed.
5.1.3. Priests were at the top of the hierarchy.
5.1.4. Slaves were at the bottom of the hierarchy.
5.2. Shang/Zhou
5.2.1. Wealthy members of the elite enjoyed collecting expensive objects made of Bronze or Jade
5.2.2. Most people spent their time in fields tending to crops
5.2.3. The Shang ruling elite had free time to spend on activities such as hunting for sport
5.2.4. Farmers were called upon to fight in the army or to work alongside the slaves on building projects such as tombs, palaces, or walls.
6. Economy and Trade
6.1. Sumeria
6.1.1. Sumerians obtained many of the materials for their buildings and art through trade.
6.1.2. Sumers traded with people across Southwest Asia.
6.1.3. Trade led to making of social structure.
6.1.4. They would exchange woven textiles for metals, timber, and stone.
6.2. Shang/Zhou
6.2.1. The Shangs domesticated animals.
6.2.2. Used bronze to make tools and items.
6.2.3. Trade was based off western culture.
6.2.4. Mostly metalwork was traded.
7. Government and Leaders
7.1. Sumeria
7.1.1. The God Enil ruled the air and storms.
7.1.2. Priests held highest status as a leader.
7.1.3. In time, many of the city-state kings formed a dynasty.
7.1.4. An Amorite king, Hammurabi became kings of Babylon in 1792 B.C.
7.2. Shang/Zhou
7.2.1. During the Shang period, China was ruled by a strong monarchy.
7.2.2. To keep order in China, the king appointed governors to rule distant parts of the Kingdom
7.2.3. Shang Kings were surrounded by a court, or a gathering of wealthy nobles
7.2.4. Rich merchants won high office ranks.