comparisons between east and west(China,Greecs and Romans)

Let’s see now,

2000 BC – 1600 BC

China – Xia dynasty, Chinese already knew how to carve jade at this early age, and clay silkworms and spindles exist as evidence that they knew how to make silk as well.
Aegean/Greece – Middle Minoan Period to Late Minoan period.
Etruscans – tribals
How do you decide which was more advanced?

1600 BC – 1000 BC

China – Shang dynasty
Aegean/Greece – late Minoan period to Mycenaean period
Etruscans – tribals

1200BC – 800BC

Aegean/Greece – Greek Dark Ages

China – Western Zhou Dynasty, spread of “civilisation” to the extremes of the Central Plains.

Etruscans – tribals

776 BC

Aegean/Greece – The traditional year of the first Olympic games in Greece.

China – Reign of the useless King You of Zhou who cried wolf.

Etruscans – start of Orientalizing Period (700-600 B.C.), Rome founded 753BC.

800BC – 300BC

Aegean/Greece – Ancient Greece, rise of city-states, defeating the Persian Empire, Athenian Empire, Peloponnesian War, culminating with the Macedonian Empire under Alexander the Great. Golden Age of classical Greece with Aristotle, Socrates and Plato.

China – Eastern Zhou dynasty, the rise of the hegemons among the feudal lords during the Spring Autumn period, and into the Warring States Era. Confucious, Meng Zi, Lao Zi, Xun Zi and Zhuang Zi etc, not to mention the famous Sun Zi.

Etruscans – Archaic Period, Roman monarchy changed to Republic, got sacked by the Gauls, recovered and defeated the Etruscans and Samnites to become capital of Italy. Read the rest of this entry »

The Capital Cities of ancient Chinese dynasties

Xia (21st-16th century B.C.)
- Yuncheng 運 城, in Shanxi Province

Shang (16th century-1066 B.C.)
- Erlitou 二里头, in Henan Province
- Aodu 隞都, at modern Zhengzhou in Henan Province
- Yin 殷, near modern Anyang

Western Zhou (1066-771 B.C.)
- Zongzhou 宗周 (Hao), near Xi’an in Shaanxi Province

Eastern Zhou (770-256 B.C.)
- Chengzhou 成周, at modern Luoyang

Warring States (475-221 B.C.)
- Various

Qin (221-206 B.C.)
- Xianyang 咸陽, in Shaanxi Province

Western Han (206 B.C.-A.D.220)
- Chang’an 長安, at modern Xi’an in Shaanxi Province

Eastern Han (A.D. 25-220)
- Luoyang 洛陽 (雒), in Henan Province

Three Kingdoms:
Wei (A.D. 220-265)
- Luoyang 洛陽, in Henan Province
Shu (A.D. 221-263)
- Chengdu 成都, in Sichuan Province
Wu (A.D. 222-280)
- Jianye 建業, at modern Nanjing in Jiangsu Province

Western Jin (A.D. 265-316)
- Luoyang 洛陽 (雒), in Henan Province
- Chang’an 長安, at modern Xi’an in Shaanxi Province

Eastern Jin (A.D. 317-420)
- Jiankang 建康, at modern Nanjing in Jiangsu Province Read the rest of this entry »

Who is the greatest emperor in chinese history

A list of emperors who i think is the greatest.
Qinshihuang (Ying Zheng) – Qin Dynasty
Han Gaozu (Liu Bang) – Han Dynasty
Han Wudi (Liu Che) – Han dynasty
Sui Wendi (Yang Jian) - Sui Dynasty
Tang Taizong (Li Shimin) – Tang dynasty
Wu Zetian – Tang/Zhou Dynasty
Tang Xuanzong or Minghuang (Li Longji) – Tang Dynasty
Song Taizu (Zhao Kuangyin) – Song Dynasty
Yuan Taizu (Genghis Khan) – Mongol Yuan
Khublai Khan – Mongol Yuan
Ming Taizu (Zhu Yuanzhang or Hongwu) – Ming Dynasty
Ming Chengzu (Zhu Di or Yongle) – Ming Dynasty
Kangxi – Qing Dynasty
Yongzheng – Qing Dynasty
Qianlong – Qing Dynasty

Basic Ancient Chinese Coin Types

Basic Ancient Chinese Coin Types
(reference: Education Department of the Shanghai Museum)

Money emerged as a form of currency in exchange for commodities. In ancient China, cowries and livestock were used as a mediem of exchangei n the late Neolithic period (21st century BC). This was gradually replaced by unwrought weight metals and cast coins in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties (16th century – 770 BC). After the Qin unification of China in 221 BC, the round-with-a-central-square-hole coin superseded all previous types of cast coins and became the de-facto standard right up till the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Cowry -
An early medium of exchange used in the late Xia Dynasty (21st century BC). The cowry of the later Shang Dynasty (16th – 11th century BC) usually featured teeth at one side and a hole for stringing together. As natural cowries were limited in quantity, copies made of stone, seashell, bone and bronze were also used in circulation. Bronze cowries were therefore the first Chinese cast coins.

Weight metals -
Smelted metal pieces without denomination were used as money in commodity exchanges. They were valued by weight and material quality. Gold plates for instance, were used in the state of Chu during the Warring States period (475 – 221 BC).
Read the rest of this entry »

The Sixteen States and the Empire of ther Eastern Tsin Dynasty

The Sixteen States and the Empire of ther Eastern Tsin Dynasty, 317-420 A.D. 十六国和东晋帝国，公元317-420