1. http://www.rivervalleycivilizations.com/images/c_yellow_character.jpg
2. The Shang King ruled from the capital city of Anyang.
3. In the Early Yellow River Valley civilization, there was little to no written language. Because of this there are very few documents that record any permanent economic system.
4. The main major source of trading for this civilization was the silk road. Not only did it help this particular section of the Yellow River Valley, but it benefited all of China as well. They would often trade crops because of their agricultural progress and development.
5. agriculture was further developed in the Shang period
5.1. http://digitalhistorymusuem.weebly.com/uploads/5/4/3/8/5438039/671690679.jpg
6. located right under the Yellow River Valley in the northeast region of ancient China
6.1. had good fertile soil and water which helped them thrive as a civilization
7. because the region was near the Yellow River, agriculture prospered because of the abundance of loess
8. Economy & Trade
8.1. Rather than rapid economical and technological growth and advancements, this civilization mainly focused on agriculture because of such fertile soil in their region.
8.2. Because this civilization was so agriculturally based, trading helped them acquire many goods that could help them develop things like boats and carts. This in turn helped them travel and trade in a farther range.
9. Geography & Agriculture:
10. Government & Leaders
10.1. Government divided kingdom into different territories that were ruled by Aristocratic warlords.
10.1.1. The rulers in government chosen based on religion and military power.
10.2. Government created social classes which set the rulers apart for respect and reputation.
10.3. http://www.rivervalleycivilizations.com/images/c_indus_economy.jpg
11. Arts and Education
11.1. A taotie is four evil fiends in Chinese mythology found on Chinese ritual bronze vessels from the Shang and Zhou dynasty.
11.1.1. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/Liu_Ding_part.jpg/300px-Liu_Ding_part.jpg
11.2. Art is defined by the size, elaborate shapes, and evolved decor of the ritual bronze.
11.3. During the Western Zhou dynasty there were state schools and villages schools. The state school is for the nobility. The village schools is split into 4 groups, and when you study good in one group you move to the next.
11.4. During the Shang Dynasty inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells were the simple records of teaching and learning.
11.4.1. http://oraclememory.ihp.sinica.edu.tw/image/oracle13.jpg
12. The Shang middle class were craftsmen and artisans that mostly worked with bronze.
13. developed technology for irrigation, drainage, waterways, canals, dikes, and dams
14. Religion
14.1. Religion was polytheistic, which means they worshipped many gods.
14.1.1. Practices that came from the dynasties that are still present today are ancestral rites, ancestral cults and divination.
14.1.1.1. http://study.com/cimages/videopreview/videopreview-small/arme_de_terre_cuite_fouille_du_tombeau_de_lempereur_qin_xian_137104.jpg
14.2. Ancestral cults had five key premises. They believed in Heaven/Earth/Underworld. They also beleived most peoples lineage connected to distant past like the Yellow Emperor.
14.2.1. http://archive.artsmia.org/art-of-asia/history/images/maps/china-shang-large.gif
14.2.2. They also believed humans have two souls, one that ascended from the body and one that stayed with the body. They also often did sacrifices with wine or meat to show respect.
14.2.2.1. Still today, you can find many ancestral temples/shrines in towns dedicated to individuals who became deities (god/goddess).
14.2.2.1.1. https://textimgs.s3.amazonaws.com/boundless-world-history/yuanshitianzun.jpe
15. Social Structure and Family Life
15.1. The Shang military were both the infantry and the chariot warriors.
15.2. Members of the aristocracy were the most respected social class, They were responsible for governing smaller areas of the dynasty.
15.2.1. The most poor class in the Shang society were the peasants. They were mainly farmers, some scholars believe they were more like slaves and others like serfs.
15.2.2. They discovered magnetism which is something we use almost everyday today.