Chinese Contributions

China has high mountains in the west, its rivers flow east, thus China was isolated from western culture.

Chinese civilization begins along the Huang He (Yellow) River.

The Yellow River (Huang He) The Huang He River takes its name from the vast quantities of loess which gathers along its route from the high mountains of Tibet to its mouth as it empties into the Yellow Sea.

The religious authority of the king. It was believed that rulers received their authority from the gods. It was called “The Mandate of Heaven.” As dynasties weakened and new leaders arose, the Chinese believed that the gods were removing their mandate and giving it to another.

Xi Dynasty: Earliest rulers of ancient China

Achievements: 1.Developed the potters wheel. 2.Developed baked bricks for houses. 3.Harvested silk. 4.Developed irrigation systems.

III. Shang Dynasty: First dynasty in China from B.C.E.

Achievements: Oracle Bones Shamanism Writing System Bronze ware Sericulture Feudal Political System

The Shang Economy; Built irrigation canals for crops Cowry shells were used as money. Long distance trade for copper, tin, lead, and salt

The Shang The Shang royal tombs included thousands of objects including human material remains.

IV. Zhou Dynasty BCE This was a time of Feudalism (Decentralized) government with competing warlords.

551 – 478 Life of Confucius 450 Development of Chinese Calendar Patterns in Classical China Zhou Dynasty (height c. 700 B.C.E.) Yangzi River valley settled "Middle Kingdom"

The long, narrow strips of wood or bamboo typically carry a single column of brush-written text each, with space for several tens of Chinese characters. For longer texts, many slips may be bound together in sequence with thread

Mandate of Heaven The right to rule is granted by Heaven. There is only one Heaven; therefore, there can be only one ruler.

221 – 202 B.C.E. Qin Dynasty A single emperor rules Great Wall of China begun A single basic language is developed

Anarchy in China Three Kingdoms Shu Han 221 – 263 Wei Wu 222 – 280

The Silk Road The Silk Road, or Silk Route, is an interconnected series of trade routes through Southern Asia mainly connecting Xi'an in China, with Asia Minor and the Mediterranean. It extends over 8,000 km (5,000 miles) on land and sea. Trade on the Silk Route was a significant factor in the development of the great civilizations of China, Mesopotamia, Persia, India and Rome, and helped to lay the foundations for the modern world.

The Chinese Section

The statue is at the starting point of the ancient Silk Road of Chang'an (present Xian City).

Chinese Mathematics The Chinese Remainder Theorem Systems of linear equation Fractions Permutations and combinations Magic Square Negative numbers

Chinese Medical Contributions Accupuncture Moxibustion Yin Yang Theory