Ancient China Chapter 6. Physical Geography Geography played a major role in the development of...
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Transcript of Ancient China Chapter 6. Physical Geography Geography played a major role in the development of...
Ancient China
Chapter 6
Physical Geography
Geography played a major role in the development of China– Separated China from the rest of the
world– Separated China from itself
Vast and Varied Land
Covers nearly 4 million square milesNearly the size of AmericaContains deserts, mountains, beaches,
plateaus, and more
Gobi Desert
The Gobi Desert ran along the northern border.
Mountains to the west
Pacific Ocean to the east
Plateau of Tibet as peaks that reach past 26,000 feet
From this point smaller ranges spread eastward Qinling Shandi
– Separates northern China from Southern China
Weather and temperature
Vary across China– Northeast: Cold and dry
Temperature can be below zero Rivers freeze for half of the year
– Northwest: DryDue to the deserts
– Eastern Plains: Heavy Rains– Tropical Southeast
The wettest regionCan bring 250 inches of rain a year
Rivers of China
Two major rivers flow west to east
Helped link people from the east to the west.
Yellow River
Huang He– Also known as the Yellow River– Stretches nearly 3,000 miles across
northern China– Often floods
Can be very destructive
Yangzi River
Chang JiangLongest river in Asia
– Runs from Tibet to the Pacific OceanCuts through central China
Civilization Began
First settled along the rivers.
Farmed, built villages, and formed a civilization
Development of Farming
As early as 7000 BC farmers grew rice in the middle Chang Jiang Valley
North along the Yellow River millet and wheat were better
Getting Food
FishedHunted with bows and arrowsDomesticated animals
– Pigs, Sheep
With farming civilization grew
Early Settlements
Archaeologists found early villages by rivers.– Houses partly underground, straw
covered roofs, animal pens, storage pens, and cemeteries
As villages grew so did their defenses– Walls surrounded towns to defend against
invaders
Chinese Culture
Over time became more advanced– Pottery wheels– Dig water wells
As population grew, villages spread out, culture expanded
Burial SitesProvided us with a lot of information
from this period
Filled their tombs with objects
Some included food– For the afterlife
Some graves had more than others– Social order
The Xia Dynasty
Around 2200 BC Yu the Great, a king, founded the Xia [SHAH] dynasty
Tales of Yu helping the Chinese people with the floods
Stories were important to ancient China because told of a king who – Helped people– Explained the geography of the country
The Shang Dynasty
Established in the 1500’s BC
Ruled a broad area in Northern China
The King was the center of the political and religious life
Royal Family / Nobles
Warrior Leaders
Artisans
Farmers
Slaves
The Shang Advances
China’s first writing system– Today’s writing is based on this system
Military advancements– War chariots– Bronze body armor
Ornaments from Jade– Jade- a hard gemstone
Developed a calendar based on the cycles of the moon
Oracle Stone