1. Science and Technology
1.1. Shang/Zouh
1.1.1. Descriptions of healing methods such as acupuncture and moxibustion
1.1.2. There is evidence that they created the worlds first money systems.
1.2. Sumerians
1.2.1. The Sumerians invented the wheel, which they used to make pottery and to make many vehicles. They also invented the plow and learned how to use bronze to make stronger tools and weapons.
1.2.2. Remains show that the Sumerians built the sewers. They collected and cataloged a numerous amount of of medical knowledge. They even performed basic surgery.
2. Arts and Education
2.1. Sumerians
2.1.1. Sumerian architecture includes the use of ramps, arches, and columns, all visible on the ziggurats. Sumerian sculpture includes statues with large, wide- open eyes, as well as small objects carved out of ivory.
2.1.2. The most famous works of art are its cylinder seals, small stone cylinders engraved all around with detailed designs.
2.2. Shang/Zhou
2.2.1. Artists created highly decorative bronze vessels and objects, many of which were used in religious rituals. These bronzes are among the best known artifacts of the Shang dynasty.
2.2.2. They were able to build huge stable structures such as tombs. They also made a calendar based off the cycles of the moon.
3. Government and Leaders
3.1. Shang/Zhou
3.1.1. The first important political figure for the Zhou was King Wen.
3.1.2. The Shang lived in a monarchy, where the king was a lawmaker and a judge.
3.2. Sumerians
3.2.1. Every city-state was ruled by a priest king.
3.2.2. Each city-state was self-governing and independent.
4. Social Structure and Family Life
4.1. Sumerians
4.1.1. The highest class was the ruling class and priests. The only middle class to speak of was made up of merchants, scribes, and artisans. The majority if a city-state’s people were considered the lower class, and that class was made up mostly of farmers.
4.1.2. Men were dominant over women. This was a law in Sumerian society.
4.2. Shang/Zhou
4.2.1. In Zhou society, emperors were above all, with scholars following at a close second, farmers before merchants, and merchants before slaves and women. The Shang dynasty had a similar social structure.
4.2.2. The Zhou Dynasty ruled with a Confucian Social Hierarchy.
5. Religion
5.1. Sumerians
5.1.1. Each Sumerian city-state was built around a temple dedicated to a specific God/Goddess.
5.1.2. They were polytheistic, believing in and worshipping several gods at once. They believed that the gods controlled everything, and that keeping them happy was of utmost importance.
5.2. Shang/Zhou
5.2.1. While the Shang kings saw the universe filled with real ghosts and spirits of good and evil, the Zhou religion was much more abstract and transcendental.
5.2.2. While the ancestral ritus became more and more a matter of a bureaucratic state, poetry and writing became more individual and allowed to express own opinions about the ruling social stratum.
6. Geography and Agriculture
6.1. Sumerians
6.1.1. Their geographical location was in Mesopotamia in the fertile crescent.
6.1.2. They grew barley, chickpeas, lentils, wheat, dates, onions, garlic, lettuce, leeks and mustard.
6.2. Shang/Zhou
6.2.1. They lived in the core area of the middle course of the Yellow River, in the modern province of Henan and the western part of Shandong.
6.2.2. They had to work harder at irrigation and farming along the yellow river and this could have caused greater organization in their community.
7. Economy and Trade
7.1. Sumerians
7.1.1. There economy was based off of trade because of technological advances.
7.1.2. since there was sandy desserts around them they relied heavily on water transportation to get to other cities so that they could trade there goods.
7.2. Shang/Zhou
7.2.1. A big part of their industry was fishing. They loved to fish and this made it a enjoyable trade.
7.2.2. through their crafting practices they developed very good crafting especially with bronze showing how advanced their civilization was.