1. Government and Leaders
1.1. Shang/Zhou
1.1.1. The territory was divided into "principalities," or states, that were ruled by separate people.
1.1.2. Each state in the region was given a family member or the government officials as a leader, who was expected to obey and advise the king, and provide their state with workers and an army, meant for fighting for more land.
1.1.3. The surrounding land of the territory was unclaimed, so the government assigned it to loyal citizens or more family members, and it was converted into bases, used for absorbing new land into the Zhou control in sections called "fiefs."
1.1.4. With so many different groups and subgroups in charge of land, hierarchy began to develop. The King was at the top, then the land owners in the territory, then those of the new territories, and so on. This was the same model of ranking as the "Feudal System" which showed up in European government two millennials later.
1.2. Sumerian
1.2.1. The Sumerian government was a combination of monarchy and democracy.
1.2.2. Sumerian kingdoms were divided into smaller groups that kings ruled for the gods.
1.2.3. Hammurabi was a leader of the region and he was known for inventing the famous "eye for an eye" consequences and code of law.
1.2.4. Men were elected to serve in the General Assembly, which advised the priest-kings in making decisions, and elect new temporary leaders in times of war.
2. Economy and Trade
2.1. Shang/Zhou
2.1.1. The economy was heavily based on agriculture. Fishing became a very important industry because of the surrounding freshwater.
2.1.2. Porcelain and bronze became important materials for making items and trading for them increased in the Shang dynasty.
2.1.3. After the Zhou were forced to migrate East, the use of cattle pulled plows increased, making farming easier, resulting in a surplus of food for trading.
2.1.4. With a surplus of food available to the Zhou, the population grew, allowing for people to specialize and become merchants and traders. The people became much more wealthy at this turning point.
2.2. Sumerian
2.2.1. The economy and trade was based heavily on agriculture. New irrigation systems made it easier to produce a surplus of food to live off of and trade.
2.2.2. Merchants would travel Iran and Asia-Minor with food, textiles, and other goods to trade for wood, metal and stone.
2.2.3. The materials that the merchants acquired in their travels could be traded or crafted into tools, weapons or jewelry.
2.2.4. Sumerians used slave labor to produce goods to sell and trade. Women were the main victims of slavery in this time, performing tasks like weaving and milling.
3. Arts and Education
3.1. Shang/Zhou
3.1.1. Jade carvings were common before the bronze age.
3.1.2. Bronze cups or jars were made with inscriptions of writing and names on them. Sometimes, the names were of ancestors who passed away. They were made in many different shapes, such as animals or mythical creatures.
3.1.3. After being forced to the East, they began introducing drawings of scenes, primarily hunting.
3.1.4. They began making clay pottery on wheels, and firing them in hotter temperatures so that they became less fragile, and developed a greenish glaze on the outside.
3.2. Sumerian
3.2.1. The Sumerians introduced engravings and the art of bleaching and coloring fabrics.
3.2.2. They also created figurines out of clay because it was so abundant in the region. The clay made it hard to get sharp edges in the sculptures, so even when they began making statues out of stone, they kept to soft, rounded style.
3.2.3. Sumerians invented the first language called cuneiform, which they would etch into soft clay using sharp triangular tools made from reed. The language was basically just a series of wedges as "letters."
3.2.4. With the cuneiform language, the Sumerians wrote stories, myths, and even teachings for next generations.
4. Geography and Agriculture
4.1. Shang/Zhou
4.1.1. People started to use pesticides and fertilizers.
4.1.2. The agriculture was rigorous and was controlled directly by the government.
4.1.3. Farm lands were owned by the nobles.
4.1.4. The land was divided onto 9 squares, giving the middle square to the government.
4.2. Sumerian
4.2.1. Many canal, channels, and reservoirs were dug for irrigation, but due to the frequent flooding of the Tigris River and occasionally the Euphrates, they were constantly in need of repair.
4.2.2. The planting process was (1) flood waters drain (2) oxen stamp down ground (3) plow the fields by dragging pickaxes across them (4) fields dry out (5) rake down the ground three times (6) seeds planted.
4.2.3. The main plants raised were grasses and cereal species such as wheat and barley. These plants were easy to store, which made growing a surplus much more practical.
4.2.4. The main livestock raised in this region were donkeys, oxen, goats, cattle and sheep. They used them for many things: food, wool, and labor.
5. Religion
5.1. Shang/Zhou
5.1.1. The Shang/Zhou dynasty was polytheistic, meaning more than one god.
5.1.2. The Shang/Zhou honored and prayed to their ancestors.
5.1.3. Both animal and human sacrifices were performed to please their ancestors and/or gods.
5.1.4. When an emperor died, they would be buried with other people and horses to help them along their journey to the afterlife.
5.2. Sumerian
5.2.1. The Sumerians were also polytheistic.
5.2.2. The temples were built as small, one room buildings.
5.2.3. Religion was shared through oral tradition until the invention of cuneiform (a record keeping form of writing).
5.2.4. The En or Ensi, were the high priests and most often controlled the government.
6. Science and Technology
6.1. Shang/Zhou
6.1.1. The use of bronze in creating things like tools and musical instruments, came into play.
6.1.2. The Shang/Zhou perfected the lunar calendar.
6.1.3. The description of fractions was created.
6.1.4. They created the first geographical map of the stars.
6.2. Sumerian
6.2.1. The wheel, first invented as a potter's wheel, was used for moving vehicles as well as other uses.
6.2.2. Started the basic accounting system. They wrote down what was given and taken.
6.2.3. The zodiac calendar was created and used for practical math.
6.2.4. The first civilization to divide the circle in 360 degrees.
7. Social Structure and Family Life
7.1. Shang/Zhou
7.1.1. Four classes: Emperor, nobles and wealthy land owners, farmers, and slaves.
7.1.2. If one family member did something wrong, the whole family was shamed and could be punished along with the wrong doer.
7.1.3. Children were required to be respectful and do as their elders told them. If they didn't they were severely punished.
7.1.4. Men were often the decision makers and in charge of those in the house.
7.2. Sumerian
7.2.1. Four classes: nobles, commoner, clients, and slaves.
7.2.2. The man was often the head of the household, often bearing more than one wife.
7.2.3. Each family has a seal that acted as their signature.
7.2.4. Children were excepted to treat their elders with respect and in return were treated fairly.