DESERTS OF CHINA

The topographical features led to isolation

The 2 large desert spread across China

GOBI DESERT (WATERLESS PLACE)

• The GOBI DESERT is in Northern China
• This deserts dryness and temperatures are very harsh

GOBI DESERT

TAKLAMAKAN DESERT
• Covers Northernwestern China
• In the spring it experiences dust storms with the strength of hurricanes, lifting
the dust as high as 13000 feet in the air
• It is also called SEA OF DEATH . It offers poisonous snakes, boiling days intense
water shortages

TAKLAMAKAN DESERT
ANCIENT CHINESE TOPOGRAPHY
• The HIMALAYAS runs along China’s southwestern border, dividing China from
Nepal
• Within the Himalayan mountains is the highest mountain in the world known as
MT. EVEREST (29035 feet)
• 43% of china’s land is mountainous

HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS
PLATEAU OF TIBET
• Spreads across one fourth of China’s land
• Highest plateau on earth
• Also called Roof of the World (its average height is more than 4000m above the
sea level)

PLAINS
• Only about 12% of China’s land is plains

PLATEAU OF TIBET
IMPORTANT RIVERS OF CHINA
China has 2 major rivers that are important to the agriculture of China

THE YELLOW RIVER

THE YANGTZE RIVER

THE YELLOW RIVER (HUANG HU RIVER - 3000 MILES LONG )

• The river begins in the plateau of Tibet and runs east through the North THE YELLOW RIVER
China Plain and often overflows
• Also called as SORROW OF CHINA.
• The soil in North China is good for crops such as corn, wheat.
• Ancient Chinese Civilization began along this river.

THE YANGTZE RIVER

• The region drained by the YANGTZE RIVER is also known as South China
• The region is also warmer and more humid, this is suitable for crops like
rice and tea

THE YANGTZE RIVER

NEOLITHIC PERIOD

• Urbanization begins at Banpo (4,800–3,750 BC) on the

Zhongyuan plain of the Yellow River. Banpo grew from a
typical Yangshao village in both size and organization until
the construction of the Great Hall.

• Like Eridu in Mesopotamia, Banpo in East asia was the first

instance of specialized architecture, something other than a
house.

• Physically, Banpo was composed of 200 round pit-houses

and the Great Hall across 5 hectares and surrounded by a
ditch. These pit houses were sited for solar gain by aligning
the door to the Yingshi.

• Longshan Culture (3000–2000 BC) arrived from the east

one thousand years after Banpo in the same area. This
arrival is mythologized by the story of the Yellow Emperor, a
man of vigorous energy who dispensed law, standardized
measures, invented writing, and conquered.
 XIA DYNASTY
• The first dynasty of China 2100-1800 B.C

• Established by legendary YU THE GREAT

• Spent 13 years stopping the great flood and

brought irrigation to the Yellow River Valley

• They had many accomplishments for an early

civilization
1. Irrigated the Yellow River
2. Had a calendar
3. Created a wheeled vehicle

• The last king JIE, was overthrown by the people,

and the Shang dynasty was founded.

Irrigated yellow river Chinese calender

ORACLE BONES
• During the Shang Dynasty some kind of
bones were used to predict the future, they
were called ORACLE BONES

• Rituals were important to the shang people.

• They usually wrote questions on turtle

shells, scapulae of ox and deer

• Next they heated the shells or bones after

that they looked for any cracks

• This helped them to make predictions about

the future.
SHANG DYNASTY AXE SCEPTER (JADE)

• United the Yellow River Valley 1700- 1027 B.C

• Archeological sites at Anyang – the capital city – have

uncovered eleven major royal tombs and the palaces.
CEREMICAL DAGGER
• A class system and division of labor developed during this
dynasty : nobles, artisans, peasant farmers and slaves.

• The amount of bronze, jade, stone, bone and ceramic

artifacts show an advanced civilization.

• Horse-drawn chariots are used

• Discovered how to make silk thread. Became China’s most

valuable export

• Trade route to the Middle East known as Silk Road.

BRONZE AGE
• The Bronze Age started during Shang
dynasty

• Period in which tools and weapons were

made of bronze

• Also used for making cups as well as trade

goods

• Bronze was made by melting together

copper and a a small amount of tin BRONZE VESSELS

• Made bronze vessels to cook their food.

RITUAL WINE VESSEL- BRONZE

Iron Age urbanization

• As China moved into the Iron Age the control of the Zhou
over their empire dissolved into multiple states. This period,
called the Eastern Zhou dynasty, was a time of great
urbanization in China.

• Along with the growth of cities, there was a parallel growth of

urban society; independent merchants, artisans, scholars, and
the like all emerged as a new social class at this time

• In addition to the growth in the Yellow River Valley, the

Yangtze River Valley began to urbanize under the cultural
model of the Zhou dynasty