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 miles Nearly the size of America Contains 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 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: Dry Due to the deserts – Eastern Plains: Heavy Rains – Tropical Southeast The wettest region Can 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 Jiang Longest river in Asia – Runs from Tibet to the Pacific Ocean Cuts 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 Fished Hunted with bows and arrows Domesticated 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 Sites Provided 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