New Civilizations in the Eastern and Western Hemispheres 2200-250 BCE

Early China 2000-221 BCE

Geography and Resources China is isolated from the rest of Asia by mountain ranges, deserts and the Pacific But were able to trade goods and ideas Eastern Asia is great for agriculture Southern China receives monsoonal rain Geography and Resources

China’s eastern river valleys and northern plain Contain timber, stone, metal deposits, and productive land Why so fertile? Loess, a yellowish-brownish dust that blows in from Central Asia Gives the Yellow River (Huang He) it’s name

Agriculture Required people working together clear forests build water channels and dikes build reservoirs build terraces

Crops In the north In the south Millet and wheat Rice Rice can feed more people per cultivated acre than any other grain!

The Shang Period, 1750-1027 BCE Shang family Originated in the Yellow River Valley Extended their control north into Mongolia, westward and then south to the Yangzi river The beginning of Chinese written history The Shang Period, 1750-1027 BCE

The King and his court ruled the center of the region Royal family members and nobility governed the provinces In some far off regions, native rulers that swore allegiance to the Shang King were allowed to rule The region was connected by roads

The Shang often fought against the nomads to the north Called them “barbarians” Shang cities Palaces, administrative buildings, storehouses, royal tombs, shrines of gods and ancestors All surrounded by a city wall

Commoners Often lived outside of the city Focused on agriculture

Writing system Pictograms and phonetic symbols Hundreds of signs Small number of educated elite knew the system (the main principle of this writing exists today, where as cuneiform and heiroglyphics have been replaced)

Religion King was the intermediary between the people and the gods Male ancestors were worshipped Rulers used divination to determine the will of the gods Example on pages 42 and 43 Made ritual sacrifices Animals and humans, upon the death of a ruler

Bronze Possession meant power and nobility Weapons made the state powerful Vessels were used in religious ceremonies Ex. Pg. 41 The Shang expanded mining efforts of copper and tin

The last Shang ruler was defeated by Wu, the ruler of Zhou The Zhou line of kings was the longest lasting of all dynasties The Zhou preserved Shang culture and added to it The Zhou Period, 1027-221 BCE

Mandate of Heaven The Zhou used the idea to justify their take over The idea: the ruler had been chosen by the supreme deity and would retain his backing as long as he served as a wise, principled, and energetic guardian of his people

Religious rituals Decline in use of divination Decline in human sacrifices

Western Zhou rule 11th – 9th century BCE Early period Capitals were in the western part of the kingdom Decentralized rule Member and allies of the royal family ruled local territories autonomously Elaborate ceremonies impressed people

Eastern Zhou era Warring States Period Unification of China 800 to 300 BCE Moved their capital to the east 800 BCE Local rulers became more independent Often went to war with each other Warring States Period 480-221 BCE Unification of China 221 BCE

Changes during the Eastern Zhou Walls between city-states Fighter on horseback, learned from the steppe nomads Iron began replacing bronze weapons Southern China – first to forge steel

In the states Law codes were written Governments collected taxes from the peasants Began large public works projects The philosophy of Legalism became popular Believed human nature is wicked Strict laws are required to get people to behave Personal freedom must be sacrificed for the good of the state

Confucianism, Daoism and Chinese Society Confucius Kongzi (551-479 BCE) An aristocrat from a small state Idea of duty and public service Saw a parallel between family and state A set hierarchy Confucianism, Daoism and Chinese Society

Family

Government

Confucius Government exists to serve the people The ruler gains respect by displaying fairness and integrity Benevolence, avoidance of violence, justice, rationalism, loyalty and dignity Had little influence in his lifetime

Daoism During the Warring States period Developed by Laozi Wanted to stop the warfare Encouraged people to follow the Dao or “path” of nature Suggests going through life passively without fighting

Social organization changes From clans or large family groups to 3 generational families Grandparents, parents, children New idea of private property Belonged to the men of the family and was divided amongst the sons

Life of women… Very little is known Written records tell us they were subordinate in a patriarchal society Fathers arranged marriages Men could have one wife, but other sexual partners as concubines

Concept of yin and yang Yang = Male; like the sun is active, bright and shining Yin = Female; like the moon is passive, shaded and reflective The symbol shows the balance of the two forces

Nubia 3100 BCE – 350 CE

Early Cultures and Egyptian Domination, 2300-1100 BCE Along the Nile South of Egyptian civilization River irrigation was necessary Six cataracts obstructed boat traffic ~3000BCE Turned to agriculture and cattle herding Was a corridor of trade to Egypt Early Cultures and Egyptian Domination, 2300-1100 BCE

Middle Kingdom – 2040 – 1640 BCE Egyptian rulers tried to take Nubian gold mines Set up brick forts to protect southern Egypt and regulate commerce

Kush In the fertile Dongola region of Nubia Powerful Kings 1750 BCE – used forced labor to build large monuments Dozens to hundreds of servants and wives sacrificed upon their deaths Proves a belief in the afterlife

New Kingdom – 1532-1070 BCE Egyptians pushed further south Destroyed Kush Forced native workers to work in the mines Many died Imposed Egyptian culture Nubians served in the Egyptian army Nubians began using at least parts of Egyptian religion

The Kingdom of Meroe, 800 BCE- 350 CE Egypt’s authority in Nubia collapsed after 1200 BCE 712 to 660 BCE Nubians ruled all of Egypt as the 25th Dynasty The ruled according to Egyptian custom The Kingdom of Meroe, 800 BCE- 350 CE

701 BCE The Nubians made a mistake Offered to help the Palestinians fight the Assyrians The Assyrians reacted by invading Egypt and pushing Nubian power back to Nubia Egyptian culture remained in Nubia Ex. Burial, small pyramids, hieroglyphics

By 400 BCE Women of Meroe Nubian power was centered in Meroe Sub Saharan culture began to replace Egyptian culture Women of Meroe Royal women involved in politics, sometimes queens ruled Matrilineal society The king was succeeded by the son of his sister Roman accounts of a fierce one-eyed warrior queen

Meroe the city More than 1 square mile Different trade routes met there Reservoirs were dug to catch rainfall Iron smelting (after 1000BCE)

Meroe collapsed About 350 CE May have been overrun by nomads who had access to camels

First Civilizations of the Americas: The Olmec and Chavin 1200-250 BCE

People in the Western Hemisphere Came from Asia 20,000 to 13,000 BCE Isolated until the 1400s CE

The Mesoamerican Olmec, 1200-400 BCE Varied geography and climates People in different areas developed different technologies The region was not politically unified The Mesoamerican Olmec, 1200-400 BCE

Olmec 1200-400 BCE Domesticated corn, beans, and squash Fished Were able to have surplus food Religious and political elites Organized the population Irrigation canals Raised fields Constructed large scale religious and civic buildings

Different city-states held power at different times Most were abandoned monuments were defaced and buried, buildings were destroyed Why? Over run by neighbors? Destroyed upon the death of a ruler?

Olmec building Large platforms or mounds of earth Religious and political activities performed on them Houses of the elites built on them Lifting the elite above the masses Cities were aligned with certain stars People living in the agricultural regions around the cities did most of the building

These items were traded with other people Olmec artisans Carved stone and jade Created pottery Made obsidian tools These items were traded with other people

Olmec political structure Probably a king that had both religious and political power Large stone heads were carved to represent different rulers

Olmec religion Thousands would come to the cities for ceremonies Human sacrifice and blood letting Polytheistic Jaguars, sharks, crocodiles and snakes An idea that humans could transform into these shapes Shamans and healers worked with the elite Developed a calendar and a ritual ball game

Early South American Civilization: Chavin, 900-250 BCE Andean Civilizations As early as 2600 BCE Settled along the coasts of Peru Chavin An early Andean urban civilization Controlled a large, highly populated territory including coastland and foothills Early South American Civilization: Chavin, 900-250 BCE

A reciprocal labor system allowed for the building of public works The capital city, Chavin de Huantar, was located at an intersection of trade routes Could control trade Became a ceremonial and commercial center A reciprocal labor system allowed for the building of public works

Llamas Chavin religion Were used to move goods The only domesticated beasts of burden in the Americas Provided meat, wool and labor Chavin religion A jaguar deity Evidence has been found that suggests this belief covered a large area

Metallurgy in America developed in this region The technology moved into Mesoamerica Along with maize becoming available in the Andes, proves trade Again, no clear evidence as to why this culture collapsed