Historiography and Geography of Ancient China

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes covering historiography, evaluating historical sources, and the geography and technological developments of early China.

Historiography

The examining of how historians before interpreted historical events and people and how that changed overtime.

Source Assessment

The process by which historians evaluate a source by examining its reliability, omitted information, bias or exaggeration, and what it reveals about the values, events, and conditions of society during that time period.

Source Limitations

Reasons why historical sources are not completely reliable, including presence of bias, left out information, and presenting only part of the story.

Sinitic

Chinese.

Non-Sinitic

Not Chinese.

Yellow River

A river in North China where Chinese ancestors possibly originated, providing a steady source of water that flooded to create silt and make better soil for farmers.

Yellow River Valley Technological Development

Irrigation and flood-control systems, such as river walls and drainage systems, developed in response to frequent river flooding.