1. Geography and Agriculture
1.1. Shang/Zhou
1.1.1. 1.) They farmed millet, wheat, rice, and barley.
1.1.2. 2.) Raised pigs, dogs, sheep, oxen, and silkworms.
1.1.3. 3.) They were surrounded by long rivers, and they had fertile soil, and isolated valleys.
1.1.4. 4.) This area was particularly isolated, so that limited the invasions that occurred.
1.2. Sumerian
1.2.1. 1.) It is located in between two rivers; the Tigris and the Euphrates river.
1.2.2. 2.) The land around the rivers are very fertile. They called it the fertile crescent.
1.2.3. 3.) The land is taken over mostly by herders.
1.2.4. 4.) The land was very flat, and swampy.
2. Social Structure and Family
2.1. Shang/Zhou
2.1.1. 1.) The social structure went: king, to military nobility, to priests, to merchants, and then to farmers.
2.1.2. 2.) Classes were often defined by burials.
2.1.3. 3.) The elite were buried in elaborate pit tombs.
2.1.4. 4.) The lower class were just buried in pits.
2.2. Sumerian
2.2.1. 1.) The population started to grow during 5000 B.C. In 3500 B.C cities started to appear and grow.
2.2.2. 2.) Women usually stayed home cared for the children.
2.2.3. 3.) Families that had more money usually had lots of food, and servants.
2.2.4. 4.) The social order went: kings, priests, principle agents, landowners, wealthy merchants, artisans, farmers, laborers, and the slaves.
3. Religion
3.1. Shang/Zhou
3.1.1. 1.) Jades were used in sacrificial offerings to gods and ancestors in burial rites.
3.1.2. 2.) The Shang people saw the universe filled with spirits and ghosts.
3.1.3. 3.) The Zhou people believed in heavenly spirits, terrestrial forces, ancestors, heaven, the sun, and the planets.
3.1.4. 4.) They believed in having an afterlife.
3.2. Sumerian
3.2.1. 1.) They practiced polytheism.
3.2.2. 2.) They believed that gods were like humans in many ways.
3.2.3. 3.) They believed that gods controlled all natural forces.
3.2.4. 4.) Had more than 2000 gods and goddesses that they worshiped.
4. Government and Leaders
4.1. Shang/Zhou
4.1.1. 1.) This civilization had a very strong monarchy at first.
4.1.2. 2.) They developed kings, who were surrounded by a court, (gathering of wealth nobles).
4.1.3. 3.) King Wen was known for his wisdom. 1152-1056 B.C.E
4.1.4. 4.) The king then appointed governors to help protect the civilization. .)
4.2. Sumerian
4.2.1. 1.) Priests were the leaders of most cities because of how much the Sumerians relied on their religion.
4.2.2. 2.) Each Sumerian city formed a city-state.
4.2.3. 3.) In time many city-states gained a king.
4.2.4. 4.) Men help political power, and women didn't
5. Economy and Trade
5.1. Shang/Zhou
5.1.1. 1.) Introduced the usage of coins.
5.1.2. 2.) At first trade wasn't very common, and they just exchanged gifts, etc.
5.1.3. 3.) However, after a while, trade began to expand and money and goods began to circulate.
5.1.4. 4.) The most important thing that drove their economy was agriculture.
5.2. Sumerian
5.2.1. 1.) There were poor families in this civilization.
5.2.2. 2.) They traded with people across Southwest Asia and beyond.
5.2.3. 3.) They traded woven textiles for metal, timber, and stone.
5.2.4. 4.) Their crops and man made items definitely stimulated their economy.
6. Science and Technology
6.1. Shang/Zhou
6.1.1. 1.) Developed complex forms of irrigation and flood control.
6.1.2. 2.) learned how to use iron.
6.1.3. 3.) They developed roads, and canals.
6.1.4. 4.) They also invented chopsticks.
6.2. Sumerian
6.2.1. 1.) They used mud bricks to build the city.
6.2.2. 2.) Invented the first wheel to help the earliest "vehicles" move easily.
6.2.3. 3.) Invented the first plow.
6.2.4. 4.) Archaeological evidence shows that Sumerians also invented the first form of a sewer.
7. Arts and Education
7.1. Shang/Zhou
7.1.1. 1.) They developed one of the first writing systems.
7.1.2. 2.) The earliest bronzes were made by a method called mold casting.
7.1.3. 3.) Craftsman had full command of the artistic, and technical language.
7.1.4. 4.) They worked great with jade, bone, ceramics, stone, wood, shells, and bronze.
7.2. Sumerian
7.2.1. 1.) Developed one of the first writing systems as well, whose strokes would influence the style of scripts.
7.2.2. 2.) The numeric system is both decimal (base-10) and sexagesimal (base-60).
7.2.3. 3.) They called their writing cuneiform. They used sharp tools to etch it into clay tablets.
7.2.4. 4.) The Sumerians used many different forms of art. Historians discovered huge statues.