I can relate to the pastoral people. They helped each other and stayed close but in very small groups.  Women even had a voice and were looked upon as a role models. Of course, women of these glamorous raw life was not simple. Washing of the clothing was by hands, river or spring with a good large rock to scrub the clothing loose. Not to mention the cooking and cleaning was not that easy. It is amazing to learn how people lived and the struggles they had to endure to live life, such as traveling from one place to another. How these people were able to master import and export that is now all over the world. Just for a simple fruit or an exotic plant, what people will pay for, for goods from another country.  I remember growing up and us kids had to use the outdoor potty. Scrub our clothes in a bucket with washboard, rinse in clear water and wring it, until we got a thingabob that squeezed the clothes. Take care of our domesticated animals and the garden. It is a great thing that we did not lose the importance of agriculture and animals that we can love and nurture. Not to mention the changing of tools and how they have learned to use these towards the spread of agriculture and trade. 

With all the new discoveries and documents of what our ancestors have accomplished with very little resources and knowledge is very remarkable. It is like how did they know how the earth have looked like and developed an map that is so beautiful and to the point hundreds of years beyond of no technology of what we have today. How did they know ???

Changing Civilization

I have to say this history book is a great reading. Even though many of these things had happen by one person a group, villagers, nomadic people that is thousands of years ago or even that is happen a around the world. As time past with new generation and the growth of population. I was marvel how much they had accomplished with very little tools. All of these accomplishment came from ideas which is important or not they are the growth of a changing civilizations of to where we are at today. These Ancient people lived so hard to learn and grow crops, fruits, vegetables, nuts with no resources but what they had done and learned from their ancestors as we have learned from ours and as well from other cultures, such as food and clothing. For me it is so important to learn from our history so that we can understand and do better for each and every one. If i lived during that era and it was men that ruled, I would just pretend to be a boy so I could learn all of the rules just to be a stronger person. I want to know things if it be a benefit for my children.

Empire and Peasants

During the Ancient Era for China, they began to shape the political power which were all men. The Chinese rulers wanted administer loyal people instead of the royals to the central state. For the loyal they were examined and were given official positions based on performance.  Now this is how they started to govern and have been doing this for over 2000 years. For the people that lived out side of that political power were the Chinese peasants and they were the vast majority of the Chinese population. With the evidence of the artwork of these Chinese peasants on page 221. To learn on how the farmers landowner lost their land and home and still lived in poverty while working on their old land and it got worse.  This was due to high rent and taxes just like how we are in the modern time. My question is, were these the people that made these types of laws, are like the government's that we have of today society. This would explains why we have to pay high taxes on everything and rent in our modern day world of today. So that means they were basically being robbed by China's dynasty  and city states to build their dynasty and steal however these royal subjects seemed to enjoy the relish life and wanted more. Now that sounds like Donald Trump of my era.
  I also understand what Strayer was talking about the gathering and hunter. I believe that we have been gathering since the beginning of known evidence of humans being on this world.  This would also explain why we would find evidence that are buried due to any types of natural havoc. This is good because we learn what our ancestors life was like.
 When I was growing up I would find arrow heads on my grandfathers land and play cowboys and Indians with my brothers and friends. I did not know any other world but growing up on a farm. I had a black and white television, radio and the old rotary phones and an outhouse. Washing clothes with wash board and hung out to dry all seasons too. Caring for the animals and the crops and garden full of fruits and vegetables. My clothes were hand or machine sewing. This is why I believe Strayer is right about the gathers and hunters. We are natural gathers.

I am watching the Gladiator on History channel right now. What a great movie with Russell Crow.