Global Honors: Spiconardi

ANCIENT RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATIONS OF CHINA

GeographyThe Middle Kingdom

China is surrounded by natural barriersKunlun and Tian Shan Mountains, Gobi Desert,

Jungles, Pacific OceanChina remained isolated and did not come in

contact with other cultures oftenEthnocentrismBelief their culture was at

the earth’s center and centrally important to other cultures Referred to themselves as the Middle Kingdom

as a result

GeographyHuang He River (a.k.a.

The Yellow River)River is known as “China’s

Sorrow” because of frequent devastating floods killed thousands (Turbulent river; often unpredictable) Chinese crossed it by

crafting rafts from inflated goat skins

River gets it’s name from the yellow silt deposited by the floods The silt known as loess

creates fertile soil

“Mother River”

GeographyYangtze River

China’s longest river

The Shang DynastyPolitical Structure

Centered around the Huang He RiverEstablished a line of hereditary kings to rule

over northern ChinaRoyal family members & warlords used to help

govern outlying areas

The Shang Dynasty

ReligionAnimism – belief all things in nature have a

spiritWorshipped ancestors

King was head of ancestor worship cultChief priest was eldest male in each family

Divination - ritual act performed by Shang kings & diviners by burning tortoise shells to give insight into the future from the gods.Write a question on the shell, burn it, and

interpret the cracks to answer the questionChinese were most literate culture fore centuries

The Shang DynastyReligion

Buried their dead with jade believing it possessed magical powers

Kings & warriors buried with valuable belongings and slaves (who were often buried alive)

The Shang DynastyAchievements

Bronze workCasted ritual vessels often buried with their deadBronze vessels often contained inscriptions

Along with oracle bones, demonstrates a well-developed writing system

Ideographs/PictographsSymbols/pictures represents an entire word or

concept Shang had developed over 3,000 characters

http://www.omniglot.com/writing/chinese.htm

SilkWell before the Shang, Chinese developed

silk making skills (at least3000 BCE)2,500 to 3,000 cocoons are needed to make

just one yard of silk fabricOriginally, silk was only for the king’s use