Ancient Chinese Civilisations

Ancient China was a civilization that lasted over 1800 years. It began in the Neolithic period (6,000–1750 BCE) and ended with the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). The first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, united China in 221 BCE. The Chinese people were unified for about 2,000 years.
The three main dynasties of ancient China were:

1. Zhou (1046–256 BCE)
2. Qin (221–206 BCE)
3. Ming (1368–1644 CE)

China was the world leader in many fields of natural study from the 1st century BCE to the 15th century. The four great inventions of ancient China had the greatest global significance.
The Romans and Greeks knew China as "Seres", or "the land where silk comes from". The name "China" didn't appear in print in the west until 1516 CE.


Here are some interesting facts about ancient China:

• Ancient China spanned over 1,800 years.
• The Chinese people developed many features of civilization by the second millennium BC, including urbanization, temples, metallurgy, and a writing system.
• The Chinese invented four great inventions: papermaking, printing, gunpowder, and the compass.
• The Chinese began making silk in the third millennium BC.
• The Chinese have used chopsticks to eat for over 4,000 years.
• The Chinese traded salt, iron, fish, cattle, and silk.
• The First Emperor standardized the road width and weight and measure system to facilitate trade.
• The world's oldest printed book, the Diamond Sutra, was made in China.
• Ancient China is considered to be the homeland of domestic dogs.
• The Last Emperor of China, Puyi, became ruler when he was only 3 years old.