HIST 010 Chapter 3: China in Antiquity
Document Summary
Legend: series of rulers who brought first assets of civilization to region. Fu xi: ox-tamer, shen nong: divine farmer, huang di: created system of writing as well as the bow and arrow. Historians don"t use literal accuracy; people needed story to explain things. Yellow river people: yangshao and longshan (two neolithic societies) Similar communities in yangzi valley (c. china) and along coast to the south. Advancement in agriculture led to more complex societies. Geography: mostly deserts and mountains to north and west of. Due to rough terrain surrounding china, it was isolated from other civilizations. Still open to attack from pastoralist people (mongolians, indo- South: people that had different linguistics and lived by farming, fishing, or food gathering (absorbed by chinese expansion) Pastoralist tribes and chinese had an unstable relationship (sometimes traded, but fought over land for agriculture or grazing) First dynasty: xia under yu (introduced irrigation and raining floodwaters)
