 Emerged more than four thousand

years ago along the two great river

systems of East Asia, the Huang

(yellow) and the Yangtze rivers.

 Civilization of China began with the
expansion of small farming villages into a
more complex society. Civilization
gradually spread from these settlements
in the vallrys og Huang and Yangtzw
rivers to other lowlant areas of eastern
and central China.
 The Huang (yellow river) stretches

across China for more 2900 miles,

carrying its rich yellow silt all the way

from Mongolia to the Pacific ocean.

 The Yangtze is even longer, flowing for

3400 miles across central China before

emptying into the yellow sea. It was in

the densely cultivated valleys of these

rivers that East Asia began to emerged

as one of the great food- producing

areas of the ancient world.

 Much of the rest of the land of

China consists of mountains and

deserts which ring the country on

its Northern and western frontiers.

 To the south and southeast of China are the

Himalaya Mountains. These are the highest

mountains in the world. They provided a nearly

impassable border for Ancient China, keeping

the area isolated from many other civilizations.

They were also important to Chinese religion

and were considered sacred.

 To the north and west of Ancient
China were two of the world's largest
deserts: the Gobi Desert and the
Taklamakan Desert. These deserts also
provided borders that kept the
Chinese isolated from the rest of the
world..
 The Mongols, however, lived in the
Gobi Desert and were constantly
raiding cities of northern China. This is
why the Great Wall of China was built
to protect the Chinese from these
northern invaders
 The Shang Dynasty is the earliest ruling

dynasty of China to be established in

recorded history
 The historians of Chins have
traditionally dated the beginning of
Chinese civilization to the founding of
Xia (shee-oh) dynasty over four
thousand years ago.

 The founder of Shang dynasty was a

ruler named YU.
 Yu was a man great in virtue and

dedicated to the service of his

people. Supposedlt, he introduced

irrigation and drained the

floodwaters that often threatened to

cover the North China plain.

 The Shang conquered Xia land and
gained control of Chinese civilization.
The Shang Dynasty lasted over 600
years and was led by 30 different
emperors. The Shang were the oldest
Chinese civilization to leave behind
written records, called oracle bones
 During the Shang Dynasty people

worshipped many gods. Ancestor

worship was very important since they

believed their family members

became god-like in the after life.

 Shang government invented new ways
to make bronze crafts. Thousands of
bronze artifacts have been found
including some that weigh nearly 2000
pounds.