China

17 Pages 4265 Words

Early China & Xia Dynasty: 10,000 BC to 1500 BC
Daily Life in Very Early China
Chinese civilization started around 10,000 BC, when a group called the Yangshao (yahng show) settled near the Huang He River. Archaeologists have uncovered many Yangshao villages in northern China. In one village, they found the remains of farmhouses, built partly underground, with plaster floors, and roofs held up with wooden posts.
About 3,000 BC, another farming group appeared, the Lungshan people. The Lungshan were very advanced for their time. They harvested silk, and used it to weave fine fabrics. They used the potters wheel. They baked strong bricks in ovens, and used them to build their homes. They worked together on flood control and irrigation projects. They had great engineering skills. Legend has it that their "Great Engineer", Yu, founded the Xia (sometimes called the Hsia) Dynasty in about 2,000 BC. There are no written records. Our knowledge of their life comes from ruins of their town, ancient stories and legends. This story tells us quite a bit about ancient life in Xia times.

Daily Life during the Shang & Chou Dynasties
About 1700 B.C. to 250 B.C.
These two ruling families controlled much of ancient China for about 1,500 years! Daily life was much the same during both dynasties.
Shang & Chou Introduction: Shang and Chou times are known for their use of jade, bronze, horse-drawn chariots, ancestor worship, highly organized armies, and human sacrifice. Cities were surrounded by protective walls. One city was surrounded by a wall 30 feet high, 65 feet thick, and 4 1/2 miles long! Inside these walled cities lived the rulers, priests, and warriors. Merchants and craftsmen lived in mud houses built up against the outside walls of the cities. Farmers lived in nearby villages. Chopsticks were invented, which changed the way people ate their food.
Family: For both the rich and the poor, the family was all important. The oldest male w...