7 Aspects of Civilization

1. Economy and Trade

1.1. Sumarians

1.2. They would trade across Southwest Asia for raw materials they lacked such as wood and metals.

1.3. Their economy relied heavily agriculture. They grew barley, wheat, peas, and onions just to name a few.

1.4. High ranking people such as Priests, large landowner, and wealthy merchants ran the economy.

1.5. They also raised animals such as cattle and sheep.

1.6. Shang/Zhou

1.7. Iron stabilized their economy

1.8. They learned how to make iron stronger and faster by using the piece-mold casting method

1.9. Agriculture was also a big part of their economy so it required a lot of slave work.

1.10. The community would also trade for items that they couldn't acquire or create.

2. Social Structure and Family Life

2.1. Sumerians

2.2. This was the social structure of The Sumerians: Kings, Priests, and Principal agents were at the top, followed by large landowners and wealthy merchants. Next came the artisans, farmers, and laborers. The very bottom was the slaves who were captured in battle.

2.3. Sumerians hired people to work in the temple, the jobs included: potters, metal smiths, spinners, weavers, carpenters, traders, and laborers.

2.4. The Mesopotamian people enjoyed eating. The wealthy Sumerians had a wide selection of foods to eat, however the poorer only received a little meat.

2.5. The Sumerian men were in control of political power and created the laws . The women took care of their home and their children. Women were trained to cook specialty beverages, cook food, and spin/weave the clothing. After puberty, a woman was expected to be married.

2.6. Shang/Zhou

2.7. This was the social structure of The Shang/Zhou: First was the King, then the military nobility, followed by the priests, after them was the merchants, and at the bottom was the farmers.

2.8. The upperclass was aloud to live inside the walls of the city. There houses were made of wood and clay bricks and well lavished. Had good food and gardens and they were given a good burial. Outside of the walls lived the craftsmen and merchants, they lived in mud huts and were not permitted inside the walls if the city was under attack. Far from the walls lived the farmers. Farmers had few belongings, and lived in bamboo shacks. They only got to keep a little of the food they grew.

2.9. The kingship of the Shang/Zhou went from brother to brother instead from father to son. then from brother to nephew.

2.10. The families lived together. The oldest male of the family was always in charge, if the kids were disobedient, they were punished.

3. Arts and Education

3.1. Sumerians

3.2. Wrote on tablets of clay, later evolving the script known as cuneiform or "wedge-shaped"

3.3. Used sharp tools called styluses to make wedge-shaped symbols on clay tablets.

3.4. First used cuneiform to keep business accounts, works of law and grammer, literature, songs and poems.

3.5. Cylinder seals- small stone cylinder engraved all around with detailed designs. Used to sign documents or to show ownership.

3.6. Shang/Zhou

3.7. First culture in China to develop a writing system

3.8. Most distinctive images decorating Shang-dynasty bronze vessels is the so-called taotie (frontal animal-like mask)

3.9. Nobles built schools to teach their children in, because they would be the officials of the future.

3.10. Bronze sculpture and Jade ornaments and objects for ritual ceremonies and ornamentals purposes.

4. Shang often asked ancestors for advice. They sought advice through oracle bones, which are inscribed bits of animal bone and turtle shells.

5. Government and Leaders

5.1. Sumerians

5.2. The Sumerians believed in Polytheism. (When gods controlled all forces and protected them.) They thought gods were like humans and if you were the King you were treated like a god. Sometimes War-Cheifs ruled as Kings.

5.3. The first ruler of Sumer was 'Etana of Kish'. Many Kings formed Dynasties. Only men held political power.

5.4. The first permanent army was made by The Akkadians, who conquered all of Sumer.

5.5. The Akkadians Empire, Sargon was the first empire of the World and spread from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. This spread Sumerian culture and the empire lasted about 140 years.

5.6. Shang/Zhou

5.7. The first dynasty in Chinese history was the Shang Dynasty. It was located along the Yellow River; but was soon conquered by the people of Zhou. The people of Zhou came from higher up along the Yellow River.

5.8. The Zhou had imperial power over Central China. the capital was Luoyang in 771 B.C. This was The Bronze Age of China.

5.9. The Zhou Dynasty was the longest lasting Dynasty of China. King Wen had good military power, and his son King Wu had to take charge due to Wen's death. Wu led 50,000 troops against Shang's troop which was much smaller and the majority of the Shang group joined the Zhou. King Wu didn't exterminate all of the Shang's.

6. Religion

6.1. Sumarians

6.2. Built ziggurats and temples where priests and priestesses offered gods food and drink and held ceremonies.

6.3. Practiced polytheism , or the worship of many gods.

6.4. Priests held high statuses in Sumer and initially governed the city-states, hover war-cheifs began to goveren when the city-states began to battle for dominance.

6.5. Priests had high statuses in Sumer and initially governed the city-states, hoverer war-chiefs began to rules and the city-states battled for dominance.

6.6. Shang/Zhou

6.7. Shang believed in the afterlife and when the ruler died he would still need his riches and servants so they were buried with him.

6.8. Their religion was centered on the idea of ancestor worship.

6.9. They offered gifts to their deceased ancestors to keep them happy. (Ex. give them the steam from their food)

7. Science and Technology

7.1. Sumarians

7.2. The Sumarians developed a math system based 60, because of this system we divide an hour into 60 minutes and a circle into 360 degrees.

7.3. Learned geometry to build complex structures and irrigation systems

7.4. Invented the wheel which was used to make pottery and used in vehicles. They also invented the plow to make farming easier and faster. Lastly they learned how to make bronze tools and weapons stronger

7.5. They cataloged their medical knowledge and even performed small basic surgeries.

7.6. Shang/ Zhou

7.7. They used the Piece-mold casting method. This technique was the only one used in China at the time.

7.8. They wrote books on strips of bamboo.

7.9. To guard against flooding they developed complex forms of irrigation and flood control systems.

7.10. They learned how to use geometry and basic fractions.

8. Geography and Agriculture

8.1. Sumerians

8.2. The Sumerians lacked many raw materials and had to trade in order to get materials . They exchanged woven textiles in return for metals,stone, and timber.

8.3. The Sumerians were located in Southern Mesopotamia. This region is in between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Now known as West Asia/ Iraq area. The Sumerian city 'Uruk' was where civilization was established.

8.4. The land of the Sumerians was very fertile which they irrigated for crops. When the water was added to the land it made the best farmland.

8.5. It was somewhat dry in Southern Mesopotamia, so they herded sheep and goats. The farmers were in the lower class.

8.6. Shang/Zhou

8.7. The Shang/Zhou culture was located in-between the Yangtze and Yellow river. In order to avoid flooding, and to control irrigation; they made a control system to limit the amount of water coming in and out.

8.8. They farmed wheat, millet, rice, and barley. Southern China thrives on rice due to waterlogged fields.

8.9. Pigs, dogs, sheep, and oxen were domesticated. Sometimes they would even domesticate silkworms.

8.10. Northern China was much colder than Southern China and farms only millet, due to dry soil.