1. River Dynasties in China

2. 1. Human-made objects, such as tools and jewelry
2. A people’s unique way of life 
3. Ways of applying knowledge, tools, and inventions to meet peoples’ needs 
4. A complex culture with five characteristics including advanced cities 
5. Professional record keepers
A. Technology
B. Scribes
C. Civilization
D. Artifacts
E. Cuneiform
F. Culture

3. 6. A system of Sumerian writing
7. Area in modern-day Iraq. Means “land between the rivers” 
8. A series of rulers from a single family
 9. The process in which a new idea or product spreads from one culture to another
 10. The belief in more than one god
A. Mesopotamia
B. cultural diffusion
C. Cuneiform
D. Polytheism
E. Dynasty
F. Hieroglyphics

4. Add these to the back of your answer sheet
21. What are the five characteristics of a civilization?
22. What are the first civilizations?
23. Give three specific examples of cultural diffusion from the first civilizations
tell me what the item is, where it came from, and where it went

5. Geography Somewhat isolated by natural barriers.
Most of the 10% of China that is suitable for farming lies in a plain between the Huang He and Chiang Jiang Rivers in Eastern China
China was not completely protected by natural boundaries and was frequently invaded

6. Map of China

7. Civilization Emerges in Shang Times
Shang rose to power in northern China
Created walled cities made of wood to protect from invaders
Lasted from BC

8. Culture Family: Central to Chinese society
Social Classes: society was sharply divided between nobles and peasants
Religious beliefs: Believed the spirits of ancestors would bring good fortune or disaster to a family. Also worshiped a main god, Shang Di, and several lesser gods

9. Writing
Very few links between the written language and spoken language
Advantage: People in all parts of China could learn the written language even if their spoken language was very different
Disadvantage: Enormous number of written symbols to be memorized.

10. Zhou Dynasty
Zhou used Mandate of Heaven to justify their conquest of the Shang
Dynastic cycle: pattern of rise, decline and replacement of dynasties
Zhou established feudalism: political system in which nobles are granted the use of lands that legally belong to the king. In return, nobles owe loyalty and military service to the king.

11. Technology and Warring
Roads and canals
Coined money
Blast furnaces produced cast iron that was used to create weapons and tools
Warring States:
Zhou ruled from BC until nomads killed the royal family. Chaos replaced order as competing nobles attacked each other