中国古代文明--英语-China.pptVIP

ANCIENTCHINESECIVILIZATION

Section1:GeographicandCulturalInfluencesAncientChinesecivilizationflourishedfrom1500BCtoAD589Fourmajordynastiesexistedduringthistime:ShangZhouQinHan

Threemajorrivers:YellowRiverYangtzeRiverXiRiver

Geography:TheYellowRiverhasbeennicknamed“China’sSorrow”becauseofmanydevastatingfloodsChinadevelopedisolatedfromIndiaandtheWest:Fartheraway,ruggedmountains,andharshdesertsInfluencedbyfewerotherculturesthananyotherancientcivilization

ConsiderednomadstothenorthandwesttobeculturallyinferiorCalledthemselvesthe“MiddleKingdom”ThoughttheywerethecenterofworldStrongsenseofidentityandsuperiorityBelievedpeoplewereonlyfullycivilizediftheylearnedChineselanguageandadoptedChinesecustomsInvaderseventuallylostidentitiesandwereabsorbedintoChina’spopulation

ChineseWritingChinesewritinghasbeenfounddatingbacktotheShangDynasty,around1200BC.Writingwasoriginallydoneonoraclebones,usuallyturtleshellsoroxscapulae.Boneswithwritingwereputinthefireandthecracksformedwereusedtoanswerquestionsasaformof“fortunetelling.”Writingwaseventuallydoneonbronzeandlaterpaper.WritingwasstandardizedduringtheQindynasty(221BC).Today,educatedChinesepeopleknowabout4000characters.

TheXiaChineselegendtellsofYu,amythologicalfigurewhodrainedawayfloodwaterssopeoplecouldliveinChinaYuestablishedalineofkingscalledtheXiaTheXiaruleovertheregionstartinginabout2200BCThedevelopedagricultureandusedwrittensymbolsTheylackedmethodstocontrolirrigationandfloods

ShangDynastySweptintoYellowRivervalleybetween1750–1500BCFirstdynastyStrengthenedtheirrulebyintroducingirrigationandfloodcontrolsystemsUsedwarchariotsandbronzeweaponstodefendkingdom’sbordersEconomybasedonagriculture

ContinuouslybattledwarlikeneighboringstatesMilitarywasfinallyexhaustedOver