Han Roman Dbq

Han/Roman DBQ

The Han believed that the technological advances were for the better whereas the Romans were not as excite about the advances in technology. However both cultures believed that the cultural advances were important.

In document 8 it talks about how the aqueducts were important to Roman civilization. The document even goes as far to suggest the aqueducts are more important than the pyramids and are more valuable than the Greek works. The use of the aqueducts in Rome is closely similar to that of the one in the Han's empire. In document 1 a Han official concerned about flood prevention wrote a letter suggesting how to keep the cannels and rivers from flooding. Document 1 and 8 both explain the technological advances and the job opportunities connected to the water.

One might compare document 3 and document 8 due to the fact that the aqueducts, and the pestle and mortar both playing important roles in there function to society. The aqueducts had the purpose of carrying water around in the Roman civilization. The aqueducts had later been added on to be able to be used in and out of the city for private and public use. The pestle and mortar was a tool used original for grounding up spices, with the whole weight of the human body. Later it was not powered by humans but by being powered by animals and even later by water. Both the aqueducts and the pestle and mortar were improved later showing that the technological advances were able to be pushed further.

In document 2 and in document 5 could be compared to each other due to the fact that they were both about craftsmen. The Han in document 2 talk about the poor conditions that the Han farmers had to deal with. The Han farmers were no longer able to use iron tools do the high prices and the poorly made craftsmanship of the tools made by convicts. The Han farmers were forced to use brittle wooden tools instead. The Roman craftsmen in document 5 were used more for labor rather than skill, because it was not appropriate and ungentlemanly like to do the jobs of a worker. Both of the documents show the life styles that the craftsmen or laborers had to undergo. The Roman upper class were not as concerned about the tools as the Han upper class was, the Han upper class was more concerned with the farmers not having appropriate tools than the Roman upper class was.

Document 4 and document 6 discuss the advantages and the appeal of the technological advancements for both the Han and the Romans. In document 4 the governor Tu Shih encouraged and used technological advancements to make the life of his people easier. He invented a water powered blowing engine to caste for iron agriculture. In document 6 the advancements and improvements to the roads were more for luxury rather than for making life easier for farmers and craftsmen. The document describes how luxurious the road was and how beautiful the scenery was. Where the Romans built