Transcript Ancient China

Ancient China
Chapter 7 section 1
Geography and Early China
1. What were ancient China’s two
great rivers?
• The Huang He and the Chang Jiang
2. Why is the Huang He
sometimes called China’s Sorrow?
• It often floods, killing people and
destroying land
3. Which region in ancient China
do you think would have been the
hardest place to live and why?
• Possible answers:
– The desert because it does not have water
and is hot
– The mountains because it is hard to travel
and it is cold
4. How did the floods along the
rivers help the Chinese?
• They deposited fertile silt, making the land
ideal for farming
5. What information have burial
sites provided about the culture of
early China?
• Information about works of art, differences
in social order, and possibly belief in an
afterlife
6. Why do you think some of the
homes of the ancient Chinese were
partially underground?
• Possible answer:
– To keep them cool; to protect from wind
7. According to ancient stories,
what was the first Chinese dynasty,
and who was its founder?
• Xia dynasty; Yu the Great
8. Why were the ancient stories
about the Xia rulers important?
• Explained geography that influenced lives
and told of kings who helped people solve
problems by working together
9. What advances were made
during the Shang dynasty
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- China’s 1st writing system
- use of oracle bones
- war chariots
- use of bronze
- development of a calendar
Oracle bone
Bronze
sculpture
Fragment of a
ancient Chinese
calendar
10. How difficult would daily life
have been for farmers during the
Shang dynasty?
• Farmers worked hard, had little money,
and occupied a low social rank