1. Government and Leaders
1.1. Sumerians
1.1.1. Priest held a high status.
1.1.2. KIngs served as gods chief representatives.
1.1.3. War chiefs ruled as kings and ruled city states.
1.2. Shang/Zhou
1.2.1. First leader was Fu Xi.
1.2.2. Was ruled by a strong monarchy.
1.2.3. Shang kings were surrounded by a court, or gathering of wealthy nobles, who performed rituals to strengthen the kingdom and keep it safe.
1.2.4. Zhou introduced idea that they ruled by the Mandate of Heaven.
2. Geography and Agriculture
2.1. Sumerians
2.2. Shang/Zhou
2.2.1. China's first civilizations developed by long rivers, fertile soils, temperate climates, and isolated valleys.
2.2.2. Two major rivers supplied water to China's early civilizations: the Huang He and the Chang Jiang.
2.2.3. Grew rice along the Chang Jiang because it is warm and receives plenty of rainfall.
2.2.4. Further north along the Huang He was more suitable for wheat and millet.
3. Social Structure and Family Life
3.1. Sumerians
3.1.1. Distinct social hierarchy.
3.1.2. Men held political power while women cleaned.
3.1.3. Upper class women got an education.
3.2. Shang/Zhou
3.2.1. Most people spent time in the fields tending to their crops.
3.2.2. Sometimes farmers were called upon to fight in the military or work alongside slaves.
3.2.3. The Shang ruling elite had free time to spend in pursuit of leisure activities.
3.2.4. Wealthy people of the Shang elite enjoyed collecting expensive items made of bronze or Jade.
4. Religion
4.1. Sumerians
4.1.1. The religion the Sumerians practised is called Polytheism
4.1.2. Believed that all the gods controlled all natural life
4.1.3. Performed religious ceremonies to please their gods
4.2. Shang/Zhou
4.2.1. Offered gifts to their deceased ancestors in order to keep them happy and fulfilled in the afterlife.
4.2.2. Shang religion centered on the idea of ancestor worship.
4.2.3. Shang believed in afterlife in which a ruler would still need his riches and servants.
4.2.4. Shang tombs had valuable items made of bronze and jade.
5. Science and Tecnology
5.1. Sumerians
5.1.1. Learned to use bronze to make weapons and tools stronger.
5.1.2. They had medical knowledge. They even performed a basic surgery.
5.1.3. Made pottery and various vehicles.
5.1.4. Invented the plow.
5.1.5. Invented the wheel
5.2. Shang/Zhou
5.2.1. Invented chopsticks for eating food.
5.2.2. Started using iron tools for farming.
5.2.3. Shang built huge strong stable structures.
5.2.4. Built weapons out of iron such as the catapult.
6. Economy and Trade
6.1. Sumerians
6.1.1. Sumerians got many of there materials from trading.
6.1.2. Traded with people across southwest asia.
6.1.3. Men and women developed distinct roles.
6.2. Shang/Zhou
6.2.1. Introduced coins for money.
6.2.2. Iron was backbone of their economy.
6.2.3. Iron could be cast more cheaply than bronze and was stronger.
6.2.4. Began to fish in fresh waters.
7. Arts and Education
7.1. Sumerians
7.1.1. The Sumerians used a form of writing called cuneiform with the use of sharp tools.
7.1.2. They had a math system based on the number 60.
7.1.3. Architecture included statues with large wide open eyes.
7.2. Shang/Zhough
7.2.1. Chinese Art
7.2.2. Created a calendar based on cycles of the moon.
7.2.3. Taught Confucianism which means people should treat other people humanely.
7.2.4. Artists created highly decorative bronze vessels and objects.
7.2.5. Taught Daoism which encourages people to retreat from the laws of society and yield to the laws of nature.