The Dong Son Culture

The Dong Son Culture was an ancient civilization in Viet Nam. The people of this civilization cultivated rice and raised water buffalo and pigs. Houses were built on wooden stilts. The people travelled in dugout canoes. The bronze drums found in archeological digs were used to call warriors to battle. Prominent people were buried in their canoes. See a rare gold drum here.

The Zhou Dynasty

The Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history. King Wen of Zhou was one of the great leaders of this civilization. He set up a confederate form of government called fengjian. The Sky God conferred legitimate rule upon the Zhou kings. The king introduced a royal calendar to predict solar and lunar events. Unexpected calamities would call into question the king's legitimate rule so the king worked diligently to create an accurate calendar. The eldest sons in a family created a ruling class and a pecking order for how land was divided. The technological advances of this civilization include hydraulic engineering and the creation of the first dam with irrigation systems attached.

Emperor Jimmu-Tenno

Emperor Jimmu-Tenno was the legendary first emperor of Japan. He came to power with the assistance of the "Three-legged Crow," Jimmu defeated the Shrimp Barbarians to become Japan's first emperor. He named Japan the "Dragonfly Islands" 秋津島 which was later changed to Nihon-koku 日本国, "Land of the Rising Sun." According to Japanese mythology, three items gave the ruler Jimmu legitimacy: a sacred mirror, a sacred sword which killed an eight-headed dragon, and a sacred jewel. Source

Ancient Cambodia

Around 2000 BC, southeast asians began to cultivate rice and gather in permanent settlements as opposed to previous hunter-gatherer methods of survival. The village of Samrong Sen shows that Cambodians were raising cattle, pigs and water buffalo. Their houses were built on stilts. Settlements were circular and surrounded by moats or embankments to deal with flood risks. There is evidence of trade with Indian and Chinese merchants. Indian traders called Cambodia Suvarnabhumi, the "Golden Land." Chinese merchants called Cambodia "Funan." No written records survived from this civilization however a Chinese visitor in the Fourth Century CE reported that, "the barbarians are not without their own history books; they even have libraries for them."

Ancient Philosophers: Confucius and Laozi

Confucius

Confucius, or "Master Kong," was a philosopher and poet who, according to Wikipedia, "emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice, kindness, and sincerity." He believed the family was the ideal basis of government and encouraged ancestor veneration. His ideas were not new but a revival of older texts. While these ideas were not widely accepted by his contemporaries, he taught them to 70+ disciples before he died which preserved his legacy. He is credited with the idea of the "Silver Rule," a corollary to the well-known "Golden Rule." It is stated as: "What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others." He also taught the idea of "li" which is to do the proper thing at the proper time. Confucius' ideas were turned into an elaborate set of rules by his disciples.

Laozi

Laozi, or "Old Master," was the founder of Taoism. Laozi worked as a Keeper of the Royal Archives of Zhou. Legend says that Laozi was disillusioned by the state of affairs and went to live as a hermit. On his way past the western gate to the frontier, a guard recognized him and asked him to write down his teachings. This book became the Tao Te Ching. The Tao Te Ching describes the ideal existence and encourages the reader to return to his or her "natural state."

Resources:

Books (all links go to Goodreads)

Great Ancient China Projects You Can Build Yourself

The Land and People of Cambodia

Who was Confucius?

The Wee Tao Te Ching

Free E-Books

Tao Te Ching

The Wisdom of Confucius

Videos

How Japan's Emperors Convinced People They were Gods (this is pretty funny)

Who was Confucius? Ted-ED

Interesting Facts About Ancient China Religions
Virtual Tour of Prasta Pros and Samrong Sen with village footage

Ancient Cambodian Myth

Activities

1. Make a gold drum with an empty can and some gold spray paint

2. Learn about the Legend of the Three-Legged Crow specifically where this article talks about the raven in other cultures around the world. Read Edgar Allen Poe's poem, The Raven.