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Ancient Civilizations SS Picture - Coggle Diagram
Ancient Civilizations 
Mesopotamia
Location: The author wrote that the ancient Greeks called the area Mesopotamia, which means "between the rivers" because it was located between the Tigris and the Euphrates. Also, the graphic shows that "most of ancient Mesopotamia lay within the borders of modern Iraq."
(Steele 6)
Government: The people in charge of the Mesopotamian government was the current king. The rulers always "enjoyed great power and fame and their exploits and deeds were remembered for centuries." This shows that the Mesopotamians always had a good government that had the best things for them in mind. The text also said that the kings were the commanders of the military. (Steele 10)
Art: In the text it said that the Mesopotamians used materials like copper and clay to make artwork and new technologies. Some of the artwork that they would produce would be pottery, beads, and cloth. The text also said that by 3000 BCE "metalworkers were mixing tin with the copper to produce...bronze." This shows that the Mesopotamians were very smart with their art. (Steele 28)
Religion: On page 14, it said that the Sumerians worshiped many different gods and goddesses. I know this because these people were polytheistic. One of those gods was Enki, the god of water and wisdom. The Sumerians used ziggurats that they built to worship the gods. Lastly, the current ruler would always rule alongside a god. For example, Hammurabi. (Steele 26)
Writing: The author wrote that the Mesopotamians used the writing technique, cuneiform, that was first founded by the early hunters and nomads. In the text it said that the symbols used for writing were "pressed into soft clay with a stylus, leaving a wedge shaped mark that then hardened." Over time the symbols started to represent sound and meaning. This writing was used later on by people like the Babylonians and Assyrians. (Steele 12)
Architecture: The author wrote that the lasting symbol of Mesopotamia is the ziggurat which is a massive platform made of brick. Also, in the text it said that ziggurats are represented as a "mountain stretching to the heavens " because "the word ziggurat is Assyrian and means 'height' or 'pinnacle'." (Steele 24)
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Ancient China
Art: Artisans were well thought of in China. The text says that artisans were the most important people in society after scholars and peasant farmers. Some of the major luxury exports from China included jade, silk, and bronze. These were all prized in Asia and Europe. The artisans even made tools and weapons for the army. (Cotterell 56)
Trade/Commerce: From 1279 to 1368, the Mongol emperors ruled and trade flourished. Merchants were allowed to trade freely throughout the huge empire. I know this because they controlled the entire length of the Silk Road. The social position was temporarily improved for the merchants.The Silk Road went from Northern China and all across Asia. The Chinese merchants became very rich from exporting goods such as spices, teas, and porcelain. (Cotterell 58)
Writing: In the text it said that the Shang kings used the oracle bones to talk to their ancestors. Ox bones or tortoiseshells were burnt until they cracked. People read the cracks to discover answers about their ancestors. (Cotterell 11)
Government: China is an empire, which means that their rulers are called emperors. The very first emperor of China was named Zheng. He took the title of "First Sovereign Qin Emperor", to show how many kings he had vanquished. He had a short, harsh, reign. He did, however, start building the Great Wall which was very positive to China's civilization. (Cotterell 16)
Location: The author wrote how Ancient China's "vast deserts and mountain ranges" made it so China didn't even know there were other civilizations. These huge landmarks cut them off from everyone surrounding them including cultures in Europe, India, and West Asia. China's civilizations had a lot of land and they filled it up. The civil service, which was established by the first Han emperor, helped "successive dynasties govern the huge population wisely and effectively. (Cotterell 6)
Religion: In the text it says that Confucius was one of the greatest Chinese philosophers. Confucius believed that all people should be virtuous, morally good and loyal. Strong family bonds was another one of Confucius' beliefs. (Cotterell 12)
Architecture/Technology: On page twenty-two it's explained how Ancient China's inventions were spread all the way to Europe because of trading. Some examples of these inventions are paper money, silk, and fireworks. All of these inventions "made the world a different place". (Cotterell 11)
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