1. River Dynasties in China
Chapter 2 Section 4 Pg

2. Geographic Features East – Pacific Ocean North – Gobi Desert
South West – Himalaya Mountains
Center – Huang He & Yangtze Rivers

3. Environmental Challenges
rivers flood – loess (yellow silt)
geographic isolation
flooding was unpredictable
invasions from west and north

4. Settlements 1.7 million years ago 1st cites on Huang He River
wooden cities surrounded by high walls

5. Social Classes Emperor obtained power through the Dynastic Cycle
by maintaining the Mandate of Heaven
nobles & peasants
ruled by warriors and nobles/lords through a feudal system

6. Role of Family family important eldest male – controlled
arranged marriage at yrs

7. Religious Beliefs ancestors could cause fortune or disaster
made sacrifices to ancestors
polytheistic
oracle bones

8. Writing System symbols = words
no dialects, all Chinese can understand each other
knowledge of symbols
1,000 = literate
10,000 = scholar
20,000 = total

9. Technological Advances
roads and canals
coined $
blast furnaces
cast bronze – bells
cast iron for weapons
clock
crossbow

10. Artistry
jewelry
silk shoes
making paper
gunpowder/fireworks