JULIANNE

=River Dynasties in China = Near modern day Beijing, a Homo-Erectus skeleton was found that showed evidence of people settling the river valley around 500,000 years ago. This is when the first civilizations of China emerged. The first Chinese dynasties settled and developed along the Huang He and Yangtze Rivers. The first main dynasty was the Shang Dynasty. Family played a major role in their culture. They believed that the spirits of their ancestors could bring good fortune or disaster to the family. As a result, every family paid respect and made sacrifices to their father's ancestors. They also consulted with the gods through the spirits of their ancestors using oracle bones . They wrote questions on the bones using an early method of Chinese writing. The Shang Dynasty brought advances in culture, but was overthrown by the Zhou in 1027 B.C. because of the Dynastic Cycle. The Zhou Dynasty brought improvements and advances of its own. The use of cast iron, coined money, roads, and canals improved trade, agriculture, and war tactics. The Zhou also brought cultural advances by initiating the political system of feudalism. However, this system crumbled when the Zhou empire was sacked by nomads from the north and west in 771 B.C.. Territories bickered and fought, and eventually, traditional values collapsed as well.