1. Ancient China
The Middle Kingdom

2. Geography isolated by natural barriers mountains, jungles, deserts
led to belief that China was center of Earth, sole source of civilization
some contact w/ traders and invaders

3. Geography Huang He (Yellow) River
loess = fine yellow soil carried in the river
loess settles, water level rises
dikes built to keep river from overflowing

4. Huang He River

5. Religion polytheistic Shang Di: leader of the Gods “ancestor worship”
believed gods wouldn’t respond to mere mortals
ancestor spirits of could influence gods, help or harm the living
Gave offerings of wine and food, and sometimes human sacrifice

6. Religion: What did the king do?
Shang kings were closely involved with the religion
Shang people believed that the king had power to rule because he had powerful ancestors
King used oracle bones to ask ancestor’s advice
Questions were written on tortoise or other animal bones and pierced with a hot needle so they cracked
The pattern of the cracks revealed the answer

7. Oracle bone
Insert picture of Oracle bone here.

8. Afterlife Belief in the afterlife
Shang kings were buried with weapons, ornaments, pottery, sculptures, and chariots

9. Shang Tomb

10. Accomplishments: Writing
oldest examples found on oracle bones
combination of pictographs (images that stand for objects) & ideographs (symbols that stand for words or ideas)
over 10,000 characters
developed calligraphy
the same writing system united China where people spoke different language

11. Accomplishments: Bronze Weapons
One of the earliest peoples to figure out how to make bronze from copper and tin

12. Accomplishments: Army
Large army made up of foot soldiers, archers, cavalry (soldiers on horseback), elephants, and chariots

13. Accomplishments: Calendar
The king issued pronouncements as to when to plant crops based on the Shang calendar
360-day year of 12 months of 30 days each based on lunar cycle
Chinese characters for “moon” was—as it remains—that also for “month.”
Based on solar year as well, the calendar added in extra short months to account for the extra 5 days in a solar year

14. Politics: Xia Dynasty Xia (Shyah) ruled during the late Neolithic Era
Earliest dynasty
Settled around rivers
Developed flood control & irrigation
Use of bronze for weapons
Not very unified which led to its demise

15. Politics: Shang China c.1750 – 1045 BCE Around the same time as
Hammurabi & the Babylonian Empire in Mesopotamia
Middle/New Kingdoms in Egypt
End of the Harrapan culture in India
centered on Huang He
dynasty = ruling family
kings ruled a small area, loyal clans held the rest

16. Politics: Shang Led by a powerful king
Smaller kingdoms were setup under his male family members
Power passed to brothers or sons of the king when he died

17. Politics Shang kings used their armies to keep them in power
Constantly at war with neighboring clans
Used war as a way to gain land and slaves

18. Politics: Capital
Capital at Anyang

19. Anyang
Archeologists discover in 1928
Palace, temple, houses

20. Economy
Used cowries shells for money

21. Economy Main income came from farming or the harvest of crops
Many farmers also knew how to cultivate the silkworm and weave its tread into beautiful cloth which would be used for clothing
Silk later became China’s main export
Many artisans manufactured weapons, ritual vessels, jewelry, and other items of interest

22. Social Structure
Nobles were the second most important people after the Royal Family
They served in the army and as “warlords” they helped to govern the kingdom’s territories

23. Other Social Classes
Craftspeople: bronze and jade workers, potters, and stonemasons & traders
Farmers: largest social class
Did not own their land, it belonged to the king and they gave all their extra crops to the king and nobles
Slaves: usually people captured in wars, they build tombs and palaces
When their masters died, slaves were sometimes killed so that they could serve their master in the afterlife