made by Ricco Ballard

1. ANCIENT CHINA
Ricco Ballard

2. TIME
• The story of Ancient China is told in traditional historical records that refer
as far back to the Five Emperors and Three Sovereigns about 5,000 years
ago this is enforced by archaeological records dating to the 16th century
BC.
• China is one of the world's oldest continuous civilizations.
• 221 BC is the commonly accepted year when China became unified under
a large kingdom or empire.
• China was first united by Qin Shi Huang in 221 BC.

3. • The Three Sovereigns, were
said to be god-kings or
demigods who initiated very
important aspects of the
ancient Chinese civilization
and culture these being:
agriculture, fishing, herbal
medicine, writing, and the
drinking of tea, and in some
cases created men and
animals.
• The Five Emperors were
legends that were morally
perfect sage-kings.

4. GEOGRAPHY
The geography of ancient China
can be conveniently divided up
into three regions:
1) The Yangtze and Yellow
Rivers
2) The Gobi and Taklamakan
Deserts
3) The Himalayas
In ancient China, the importance
of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers
is hard to overstate. People
mostly settled along these rivers,
and different settlements were
ruled by different kings

5. YELLOW RIVER
YANGTZE RIVER
THE HIMALAYAS
TAKLA MAKAN DESERT GOBI DESERT

6. ECONOMY
• Ancient Chinese people traded salt, iron, fish, cattle, and silk.
• Silk was traded for goods and services – Silk route
• Through the famous Silk Route, they also traded externally: goods
from China could wind up in Greece.
• At the eastern end of the route, the Chinese traded with people
from India, providing them with silk and getting lapis lazuli, coral,
jade, glass, and pearls in exchange.
• Fish, farmed and irrigated the land
• The ancient Chinese first used cowrie shells for money in China as
early as 1800 BC.
• Then people used metal imitations of cowrie shells, and then metal
strings of beads called cash.

7. SOCIETY
• In ancient China there was a massive demographic gap between
farmers and kings and the nobles.
• The farmers were far more in population numbers and were
made to work very hard for little money.
• The nobles lived in palaces while the farmers survived in tiny
huts. The nobles were highly regarded and lived with great
riches.
Painting of five Han nobles conversing and wearing
elegant clothing

8. POSITION
OF WOMEN
Male domination was common in
ancient China. The women were
asked to take care of the children
and household. They never had
their choice in marriage and were
not included in any decision
making.
The ancient Chinese had many
peculiar customs one being foot
binding.
Girls at the age of puberty were
made to go through this painful
custom. Their toes were broken
and bandaged. This normally
reduced the size of their feet. This
process continued for a long time.
http://www.suite101.com/view_image.cfm/1600261

9. SOCIETY: RELIGION AND
ART
• Ancient China practiced
mainly three religions
• Buddhism
• Confucianism
• Taoism
• They had a rich spiritual
heritage and they believed
in YIN and YANG - the male
and female energies which
complimented each other.
• The ancient Chinese were
master creators, artists,
craftsmen and warlords.
• They developed many
martial arts and other art
forms such as calligraphy.

10. YIN - YANG
• This Symbol represents the
ancient Chinese understanding
of how things work (Male and
Female energies that
complement each other)
• The outer circle represents
"everything", while the black
and white shapes within the
circle represent the interaction
of two energies, called "yin"
(black) and "yang" (white),
which cause everything to
happen.

11. TRADE AND PRODUCTION
• Many ethnic groups in the ancient times
• Han people, mainly living in the yellow river areas and Yangtze
River
• Some minority groups in the north and south
YANGTZE RIVER
YELLOW
RIVER

12. TRADE ROUTS
• "The Silk Road" is a special term which describes the trade route
between the Central Asia and China. 5000 mile long trade route. In
ancient times, Chinese people transported silk, tea and other
products to exchange for horses with small kingdoms in west of
China. The famous explorer Marco Polo opened this trade route to
the Middle East, Western Europe and North Africa. Over time the
Silk Road became one of the most important trade route linking
China and Europe..
• From 206 BC a sea route was added to the silk road land routes.
• Sea route began at mouth of the Red River, through SouthEast
Asia to Sri Lanka and India, then to Persia, Axum and Rome…..

13. • …Trades along the route were conducted by central Asian
Merchants from who brought horses, cattle, furs, hides and
luxuries such as ivory and jade. New goods were also
introduced to the Chinese by the traders such as Cucumber,
walnut, sesame, figs, alfalfa and pomegranate, and new skills
such as using grapes to make wine, which enriched China's
ancient civilization
Chinese emperor Wu Di (141-87 BC) dispatched missions to the
west , thirteen years later missioner returned.
• 119 BC lead a second expedition to the west. Effectively
establishing diplomatic relations, beginning a process of regular
diplomatic missions to the Chinese capital.

14. RELATIONSHIPS

15. RELATIONSHIPS
CONFUCIUS: Latin name for chinese philosopher Kung Fu-tze. 551-479 BC.
•Created ethical system called CONFUCIANISM – system of ideal human relationships
based on happiness, respect for elders and family unity.
•Human behaviour and contact
•Not religion
•Formed the basis of society, government and justice.
•Practiced correctly would bring order.
•Each person was to strive to be
•Polite
•Honest
•Hardworking
•Respectful
•Wise
•Power and right to rule belonged to superiors over subordinated:
•Older over younger --- Each having to give obedience and respect to
superior.
•Man over woman --- Superior owed loving respect to inferior.
•Emphasised importance of education.
• Chinese Agricultural Productivity resulted inn relationships with other countries in
trading.

16. MARRIAGE
• Arranged
• Bride moves into husbands home.
• Becomes daughter to husbands mother
• If widowed, will take care of in-laws and children
• Very improper to remarry.
• Pressure for son
– Carry on family name
– Daughters unwanted burden and cannot care for aging parents.
Sometimes left to die or sold in poorer families.
– Reason for men to have more than one wife.
• Wealth and social status
• Unfamiliar until wedding day
• Wear red – believed meaning of foreshadowed delight.

17. CULTURE
• Girls and women were seen as weak and submissive
• Boys and men stronger, active and dominant
• Woman had to behave respectfully, put others first, never mention their own
good deeds or deny faults, endured insults and mistreatment, went to bed
late, woke up early, never put off work, served their husbands, rarely laugh
nor told jokes .. Kept to them selves
• With the influence of Conficius, Chinese have become more reserved.
• Some Chinese cultures:
– Chinese arts
– Architecture
– New years
– Martial arts
• Chinese are not so much religious as they are superstitious.
• Many different gods
• ancestors.
• Mandate of heaven

18. DWELLINGS
• Poor dwellings
• One roomed
• Mud brick
• Thatch roof
• High wall surrounding house made of earth
• No windows, just one door
• Screen wall as soon as entered
( short wall which kept people from seeing into court yard.)
• Rich dwellings
• Two stories
• Balconies
• Courtyard
• Ponds
• Built with wood
Structural principles of Chinese architecture remains unchanged.
As old as Chinese civilisation

19. TRANSPORT
• Inland water transport
• 215bc first contour canal built
• 210bc, extensive network of roads, 4000 miles of imperial highways.
• Romans used throat and girth harnesses, choked horses – slowed them
down. Chinese made improvements, placed force load on horses chest ..
Horse pulled load 6times greater
• Same path followed by stirrup .. Chinese invention ..
Greatly improved ability to ride a horse.

20. TRANSPORT

21. COMMUNICATION
• China considered oldest civilization in the world
• Worlds oldest records of continuously used writing system
• Many of the ancient characters still used today
• Symbols represent whole concepts and carry complete meaning
• Most ancient Chinese symbols discovered in form of oracle bone
scripts – symbols etched into animal bone and shell
• Also discovered symbols etched in to bronze vessels.

22. INVENTIONS
Printmaking Papermaking
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chinese_inventions

23. INVENTIONS
Paper
• AD 105 - the year in which
papermaking was invented.
• In that year, historical records
show that the invention of
paper was reported to the
Chinese Emperor by Ts'ai Lun,
an official of the Imperial
Court.
• Recent archaeological
investigations - the actual
invention of papermaking
some 200 years earlier.
• Early Chinese paper appears
to have been made by from
a suspension of hemp waste
in water, washed, soaked,
and beaten to a pulp with a
wooden mallet.

24. INVENTIONS
Toilet Paper interesting fact
• This invention was
invented during the Sui
Dynasty, about 581-618
AD.
• It was the Chinese who
first exchanged water to
toilet paper to clean
themselves. From then,
this invention moved all
over the world.
Compass• The compass was
invented during the
Feudal Period, in
4th century BC. The first
compass was created out
of bronze and lodestone.
• The pointer was a spoon
created out of lodestone
• The plate was bronze.

25. CHINESE CUISINE
• Food in China has been the foundation of life for many centuries.
• Rice is a well know crop in Southern China and has been grown since the
fourth mellenium BC. Millet, a well known crop in Northern China has
been grown since the fifth millenium BC.
• The first Chinese crop was grown in the upper Yellow River Valley.

26. FOOD
• Rice was the first grain that people
farmed in China.
• People cooked rice by boiling it in
water, the way they do today. Or
they made it into wine.
• Rice wouldn’t grow in Northern
China, so they farmed millet. They
ate it boiled into a kind of porridge.
• The ancient Chinese began eating
ice cream-like deserts around 2000
B.C.
• Ancient noblemen were particularly
fond of a soft paste made with soft
rice and milk, packed with snow.
• Soybeans and Cucumber are native
to china.
• Tea grows wild in China. By
about 3000 BC people in China had
begun to drink tea.
• Tofu and Bean Curd in food as a
source of protein as the Buddists
didn’t eat meat.

27. STAPLE
FOODS/BEVERA
GES
• Rice
• Noodles
• Soybeans
• Wheat
• Vegetables
• Herbs
• Desserts
• Tea
• Liquor
• Herbal drinks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_cuisine

28. CLOTHING
http://www.solomon.cps.k12.il.us/roeschleyindex.html http://www.solomon.cps.k12.il.us/roeschleyindex.html

29. .
• Once the ancient chinese had
invented a needle made of bone.
They began to sew. From there
then began to spin and weave
and created coats made with
linen.
• Soon dress became a token of
social status.
• There were very strict rules
about color, design, and
adornment of the clothes.
• Rules were made by the
emperor and the officials.
• The color yellow was for the
emperor only. Green, red, white,
and black were symbols for
north, south, east, and west.
The robe embroidered with dragon patterns was made
for the exclusive use of an emperor during the Qing
dynasty.

30. HAIR
• Ancient Chinese Hair used to
be considered holy and a
deeply personal item.
• “Our body, our hair and skin
are granted by our parents
and we should not be allowed
to destroy them”.
• Both Chinese men and women
would sometimes wear their
hair in a coiled bun and use a
hairpin to secure it.
• Women's hair ornaments were
as your can see far more
embellished than men's.

31. • Unmarried Chinese girls hair
was usually worn long and
braided.
• Women combed the hair back
from the face and wound into
a knot at the nape of the
neck.
• The Manchu regime of the
time dictated that men
shaved the front of the head
and wore the back hair long
and braided, tied with black
silk.
• There were many interesting
styles seen that branched off
those particular rules.
http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/index.php?/topic/26604-
ancient-chinese-childrens-hairstyles/

32. JEWELLERY

33. JEWELLERY
• Jewellery is seen to provide
power and strength to the
wearer.
• The dragon - power and good
luck
• The goldfish - abundance of
gold
• The phoenix - good fortune,
opportunity and luck
• Others - bird, tiger, monkey,
bat, peacock. Clouds, flowers
and twigs were also symbols of
good luck.
• Colours and semi precious
stones –give power
• Cure some diseases, give
longevity, and to be healthy.
• The most famous stones used
for many centuries are coral,
turquoise and jade.

34. JADE
• “Stone of heaven,”
• The use of carved jade has
been a very important part of
Chinese society for more than
6,000 years.
• Played significant roles in
Chinese politics, economics,
philosophy, and religion.
• They felt it embodied qualities
of nobility, perfection,
constancy and immortality; a
symbolic link between man
and the spiritual world

35. JEWELLERY

36. JADE
• Anciently jade
was made into
sacrificial vessel, tools,
ornaments, utensils
and many other items.
• To preserve his body,
Liu Sheng, the ruler of
the Zhongshan State
(113 BC) was buried in a
jade burial suit
composed of 2,498
pieces of jade, sewn
together with gold
thread.

37. REFERENCES
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Great_Inventi
ons
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_cuisine
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanfu
• http://library.thinkquest.org/20443/clothing.htm
l
• http://www.womenofchina.cn/html/report/1367
84-1.htm
• http://traditions.cultural-
china.com/en/15Traditions4715.html
• http://listverse.com/2009/04/18/10-great-ancient-
chinese-inventions/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanfu
• http://library.thinkquest.org/20443/clothing.htm
l
• http://listverse.com/2009/04/18/10-great-ancient-
chinese-inventions/
• http://www.crystalinks.com/chinahistory.html
• http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/china/economy/
• http://p1g1.pbworks.com/w/page/30987172/Econo
my
• http://library.thinkquest.org/C005446/text_version/En
glish/china.html
• http://www.solomon.cps.k12.il.us/roeschleyindex.html
• http://news.tootoo.com/China_Window/Folk_Culture/
Traditional_Apparel/20080623/118535.html
• http://djcadchina.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/jeweller
y-and-traditional-beliefs/
• http://ipst.gatech.edu/amp/collection/museum_invent
ion_paper.htm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Great_Inventio
ns
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_cuisine
• http://www.womenofchina.cn/html/report/13678
4-1.htm
• http://traditions.cultural-
china.com/en/15Traditions4715.html
• http://kaleidoscope.cultural-
china.com/en/118Kaleidoscope361.html
• http://www.fcps.edu/KingsParkES/technology/ancient
/china.htm#ecomonics
Websites:

38. THANK YOU
Ricco ballard