1. Geography of China & China’s First Dynasties

2. Geography of China China is about the same size as the United States China is separated from Asia by: –The Gobi Desert to the north –The Pacific Ocean to the east –Mountains to the west Climate and temperature is different all over China –Cold in the north –Dry in the desert –Tropical in the southeast jungles

3. The Rivers of China Huang He River (Yellow River) flows from West to East across Northern China –Floods and leaves behind silt –Floods can be very deadly, so this river is also called China’s Sorrow because so many people have lost their homes and lives because of its floods. Chang Jiang (Yangzi) River flows across the middle of China –It is the longest river in Asia

4. The First Civilizations in China The people in China settled along the rivers The silt from the floods of the rivers made the land very fertile for farming Like the Egyptians, the Chinese filled their tombs with objects like food or jade, a hard gemstone. –Some gravesites had more stuff in them. What do you think that suggests about those people?

5. China’s First Dynasties What is a dynasty? –A series of rulers that come from the same family, like the Bush family or the Kennedy family Yu the Great started the Xia (pronounced Shah) dynasty Legend says that during some terrible floods during Yu the Great’s life, he dug canals that carried flood water to the oceans. –Historians haven’t found actual evidence of this yet…it’s just a legend, but many believe it is true.

6. The Shang Dynasty The Shang dynasty is the oldest for which we have evidence that it existed. Shang Dynasty social structure: 1. King 2. Nobles (helped the king rule) & Religious officials 3. Warriors 4. Artisans (made weapons, pottery, tools, or clothing) 5. Farmers 6. Slaves

7. The Shang Dynasty The Shang dynasty invented China’s first writing system (over 2,000 symbols) The people wrote on cattle bones and turtle shells Priests would write on these bones or shells, then heat them, causing them to crack. Then the priests would “read” these cracks to make an oracle (prediction)