1. Economy and Trade
1.1. Sumerians
1.1.1. trade was established
1.1.2. usually traded crops for things like stone, metal, and timber
1.1.3. economy relied on agriculture and trade
1.1.4. scribes kept records of trade and wrote reciepts
1.2. Shang/Zhou
1.2.1. Built roads and canals for better trade
1.2.2. Cowrie shells used as money
1.2.3. Transport by water was slow and unreliable
1.2.4. Mercantile Economy
2. Religion
2.1. Sumerians
2.1.1. Polytheistic
2.1.2. recognized many gods
2.1.3. rituals were enlivened by skillful harpist and singers
2.1.4. believed their role in the universe was to serve the gods
2.2. Shang/Zhou
2.2.1. Polytheistic
2.2.2. Ancestor Worship
2.2.3. Shang Ti
2.2.4. Rituals, prayers, offerings and human sacrifice
3. Geography and Agriculture
3.1. Sumerians
3.1.1. between Euphrates and Tigris River
3.1.2. dry plain/climate
3.1.3. productive farming only with irrigation
3.1.4. pictograms suggest sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs were domesticated
3.2. Shang/Zhou
3.2.1. Yellow River Valley
3.2.2. Present-day Henan Province
3.2.3. Loess soil that is easy to work with
3.2.4. Millet and Rice were main crops
4. Social Structure and Family Life
4.1. Sumerians
4.1.1. upper class- kings priests
4.1.2. middle class- fisherman, farmers, ptters
4.1.3. lower class- slaves
4.1.4. men make major family decisions
4.2. Shang/Zhou
4.2.1. Social Pyramid
4.2.2. King was the highest power
4.2.3. Burials distinguished class
4.2.4. Oldest male was head of household
5. Arts and Education
5.1. Sumerians
5.1.1. musical instruments were found
5.1.2. used pictograms as first script (based on pictures)
5.1.3. script evolved into cuneiform(wedge shaped writing)
5.1.4. semitic dialect then become dominant language
5.2. Shang/Zhou
5.2.1. Fully Developed System of Writing used with bronze and oracle bones
5.2.2. Bronze Age
5.2.3. Jade Carving
5.2.4. Privileged classes got a better access to education
6. Science and Technology
6.1. Sumerians
6.1.1. invented wheel
6.1.2. invented writing
6.1.3. invented sail boat
6.1.4. invented irrigation
6.2. Shang/Zhou
6.2.1. Built roads and canals for better trade and travel
6.2.2. Learned how to make silk
6.2.3. Made books out of bamboo
6.2.4. Two sections of the Great Wall of China were built
7. Government and Leaders
7.1. Sumerians
7.1.1. ruled by monarch who was assisted by council of elders
7.1.2. separated into city-states
7.1.3. kings ruled each city states for the gods
7.1.4. kings job was to lead armies, supervise building of temples, and organize irrigation systems
7.2. Shang/Zhou
7.2.1. Ruled by King
7.2.2. Kingship went from brother to brother or brother to nephew
7.2.3. Feudel System
7.2.4. "Mandate of Heaven"-it was believed that the leaders gained their authority from the gods