Transcript Ancient China

“Peking Man”
(750,000 – 500,000 BC)
Sinanthropus
pekinesis
The 4 Old-World
River Valley Cultures
Yellow River Civilization
Neolithic Pottery
3000 BC to
2000 BC
“Chung Kuo”
(The “Middle Kingdom”)
Start here
Emperor is
defeated !!
Rebel bands find
strong leader who
unites them.
Attack the emperor.
Poor lose
respect for govt.
They join rebels
& attack landlords.
A new
dynasty
comes to power.
The emperor
reforms the govt.
& makes it more
efficient.
The
Dynastic
Cycle
Droughts,
floods,
famines occur.
Lives of common
people improved;
taxes reduced;
farming encouraged.
Problems begin
(extensive wars,
invasions, etc.)
Taxes increase;
men forced to
work for army.
Farming neglected.
Govt. increases
spending;
corruption.
Xia Dynasty
•Historians
consider this as
the beginning
of Chinese
civilization.
•Little is known
about this
civilization.
Xia Plaque, 1700 BC
Bronze Age Empires
Shang:
1523-1028 BC
Writing system developed that used
pictographs which were symbols or
characters representing an object.
Pictographs
Semantic-Phonetics
• Clear social divisions : Wealth
was based on land.
• Farming society ruled by
aristocracy.
• They had a belief in super natural
forces.
• To communicate with the gods
rulers made use of oracle bones.
Oracle Bones
Oracle Bones Calendar
Silk making and bronze
working were
technological
contributions of this
dynasty
Axe Scepter – 1100 BCE - jade
Ceremonial Dagger – 1028 BCE
Shang
Urn
Shang Bronzes
Ritual Wine Vessel – bronze, 13c BC