We have been learning about two different civilizations
We have been learning about two different civilizations, Mesopotamia between two large rivers about 5, 000 years ago and Egypt along the Nile River. We are about to discover another civilization that developed by the Yangtze River and the Yellow River in China. People settled there for the same reasons that they did in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Achievements of the Ancient China - Writing About 4, 000 BC, the Chinese invented a type of writing with characters that represent meanings rather than sounds. The characters started as pictures, but were simplified over time to make them easier to write. The first writing was carved on animal bones; then they painted characters on bamboo strips and silk.
Achievements of the Ancient China - Paper The Chinese invented paper about 105 AD. They cut bamboo reeds, hemp, mulberry bark, and silk rags and soaked them in water to soften them; the mixture was boiled, mashed, and pounded into pulp; a fine screen was dipped into the pulp to gather a thin film of fibers; the screen was pressed to remove excess water; the mixture was them rolled, stretched and dried in the sun to form paper. Paper was much easier to write on than any other material.
Achievements of the Ancient China – Printing In the 8 th century, the Chinese invented block printing. They carved characters and pictures into blocks of wood. The raised portions of the block were covered with ink and printed into sheets of paper. The first book was printed in the 9 th century.
Achievements of the Ancient China – Silk About 3, 500 years ago, the Chinese learned how to make silk thread from the cocoons of the silkworm. About one week after the silkworms spin their cocoons, the cocoons are steamed or baked to kill the baby silkworms. The cocoons are rinsed in hot water to loosen the tightly woven strands of silk. The strands were unwound onto a spool to make a thread about ½ mile long 6 threads were twisted together to make thread strong enough for spinning. The Chinese kept this process a secret for 3, 000 years.
Achievements of the Ancient China - Astronomy By 350 BC, astronomers had drawn maps of the stars and classified 1, 400 stars into 284 constellations. They were able to predict and explain eclipses, comets, and the aurora borealis. They calculated the orbit of the moon and made accurate observation of sunspot activity.
Achievements of the Ancient China – Inventions The Chinese discovered the formula to make gunpowder and used it to make fireworks. They made a wheelbarrow to life heavy objects. They discovered magnetism and made the first compass by floating magnets in bowls of water. They used the compass for navigation and to check that a new building was facing in the proper direction for good luck.
Achievements of the Ancient China – Inventions The Chinese invented the waterwheel as the power source of a clock. They invented the first clock. It was 30 feet high in the shape of a tower. Buckets of water and levers in the waterwheel turned the wheel and rang bells every 15 minutes. The inventor, Su Song, left very detailed drawings that have been used to re-make the clock.
Achievements of the Ancient China – Inventions The Chinese invented the seismograph to detect earthquakes during the Han Dynasty (202 AD). The seismograph was a metal jar surrounded by metal toads. During an earthquake, a pendulum inside the metal jar moved and caused a small metal ball to fall into the mouth of one of the toads. The sound of metal against metal warned of an earthquake. The position of the metal toad indicated the general location of the earthquake.
Achievements of the Ancient China – Inventions The Chinese invented the process of making cast iron by 700 BC. They melted the ore and cast it in molds. They invented porcelain during the T’ang Dynasty (618 AD). Porcelain is a type of pottery shaped on a potter’s wheel or in a mold. It is then painted, glazed, and fired in a kiln at high temperatures. We call it china today.
Achievements of the Ancient China – Medicine The Chinese used herbs to treat illnesses. They used kaolin for upset stomachs, a remedy still used today. They were the first to inoculate for small pox. They used cold baths to bring down fevers. They used acupuncture, a method of relieving pain and of treating disease by inserting needles into the body at certain points.
Achievements of the Ancient China – Art Porcelain was used to make dishes and pots. Jade, a hard green mineral, was used to make jewelry, statuary, and other objects. The Chinese believed jade exemplified the five essential virtues: charity, trustworthiness, courage, wisdom, and fairness. Lacquer was a material made from the sap of a special type of oak tree. The sap was heated to make it shiny and hard, like glass. Lacquer was used with dyes to decorate furniture and houses. Gardening was an art. The cities had peaceful gardens and parks with water lilies representing truth, chrysanthemums representing culture, and bamboo representing strength.
Achievements of the Ancient China – Philosophy The Chinese believed that everything in nature needed to be balanced; everything had an opposite side that was very important. The opposite forces were called yin and yang. Yin was earthly, female, dark, and wet. Yang was heavenly, male, light, and dry. Happiness required a balance between the two.
Achievements of the Ancient China – Philosophy Confucius was a famous philosopher born in 551 BC during a time of constant warfare in China. He wanted to restore peace and to have people respect each other (do to other people as you would like them to do to you). He set down his rules in a book called the Analects. It was the duty of a superior person to look after the inferior one. Children need to respect their parents and the people needed to respect their ruler. His teachings developed into a religion.
Achievements of the Ancient China – Religions Lao-tsu developed the philosophy of Taoism that also became a religion. His philosophy was that people needed to live simply and close to nature. Buddhism was brought from India. Buddha believed that people should give up all earthly desires in order to be happy.
Achievements of the Ancient China – Literature The Chinese have been writing books for 3, 000 years. The Five Classics containing the thoughts of Confucius and The Classic of the Way and the Virtue by Lao-tsu were the most influential books.
Achievements of the Ancient China – Architecture The Great Wall of China was built in 221 BC to protect the northern border of China from invading. Tribes. The wall was over 4, 000 miles long, and 16 -32 feet high with watchtowers located every 290 feet to 585 feet along the top. There was a walkway for guards along the top. Walls enclosed cities to protect them from enemies. The emperor lived in a palace with high walls inside the most important city. The cities were square, with straight streets meeting at right angles. The roofs of the houses were curved to keep out evil spirits.
Achievements of the Ancient China – Farming The Chinese cut terraces into hillsides to make the most of the land. They had complex irrigation systems to water the fields.
Terms to Know Bronze Age – 3000 BCE to about 1000 BCE, refers to a time of many advancements in early civilizations. Dynasties – successive rulers from the same family. Silk Road – a trade route between China and the West.
Choose a topic to research and add it to our timeline. You’ll want to have a fair amount of information about your topic and should include a picture (hand-drawn or computer generated). You will want to tell us as much about your topic as you can, so be thorough in your research. When doing your research be sure to answer the following questions: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? Spelling, punctuation and neatness counts. Our timeline will be displayed for the entire school to see, along with parents and any visitor to view and admire. You will be working on this project alone, so please make sure to check with yourself when you are available to work on your project. You will have some time allotted in each history class, but you can work on it during your work time or at home. More details to come!
- Slides: 21