Early Civilization in East Asia:
An Era of Cultural Diffusion
1. How did geographic conditions
facilitate cultural diffusion?
2. How did geographic conditions
pose obstacles to diffusion?
3. How did cultures work with and
against geography to spread?
Water: Austronesian Expansion
Water: Austronesian Expansion
• Movement of Austronesian culture (esp.
language) from mainland China to Taiwan
and beyond
• Began roughly 3500-3000 BC
• Spread to Hawaii, Easter Island, and
Madagascar by ~500 AD
Evidence: Austronesian Diffusion
• Fishing techs: nets, hooks, ocean-going
vessels with sails
• Pottery and stone tools
• Early farming (gardening)
– Overtook indigenous hunter-gather societies
– Did not expand in areas that already had
agriculture
• Austronesian language group
• Tattooing: Maori face and Filipino body
Land: Silk Road
Land: Silk Road
• A formal, transcontinental trading route
initiated by the Han Dynasty of China
• Began around 100 BC
• Built off of previous routes (ex: Persian
Royal Road)
• Connected to contemporary roads (ex:
Roman roads)
• Spanned 5000 mi., including connections
Diffusion: China to Japan
(300-1000 AD)
• Character based writing
• Rice culture
• Feudalism
Evidence: Religion
Wing god: Hadda
Location: Greece
Wing god: Kizil
Location: China
Wing god: Fujin
Location: Japan
Date: 100 AD
Date: 700 AD
Date: 1600 AD
Evidence: Art/Architecture
Vase
Location:
S. Italy
Date: 350
BC
Frieze
Location:
Roman
Empire
Temple artifacts
Date: 200 AD
Date: 700 AD
Location: Japan