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Cradles of Early Science

The document summarizes early science from three regions - Mesoamerica, Asia, and Africa. In Mesoamerica, the Maya made advances in astronomy, arts, writing, and mathematics. The Inca developed roads, stone buildings, irrigation systems, calendars, and textiles. The Aztecs had mandatory education, medicines, and agricultural techniques. In Asia, India contributed to medicine, astronomy, and mathematics while the Middle East advanced medicine, mathematics, and chemistry. Africa utilized multiple calendars and had metallurgical skills and mathematical tools.

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Aldrich Francis Ortiz Peñaflor
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420 views

Cradles of Early Science

The document summarizes early science from three regions - Mesoamerica, Asia, and Africa. In Mesoamerica, the Maya made advances in astronomy, arts, writing, and mathematics. The Inca developed roads, stone buildings, irrigation systems, calendars, and textiles. The Aztecs had mandatory education, medicines, and agricultural techniques. In Asia, India contributed to medicine, astronomy, and mathematics while the Middle East advanced medicine, mathematics, and chemistry. Africa utilized multiple calendars and had metallurgical skills and mathematical tools.

Uploaded by

Aldrich Francis Ortiz Peñaflor
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Cradles of Early Science

I. Mesoamerica

Southern Mexico & Central America


A. Mayan Civilization
• The Maya settled on the Yucatan Peninsula in
central America.
Astronomy
• Calculated Lunar and Solar Eclipses
• Used that information to have “Festivals”
• Understanding of the Solar Position in the sky
Arts
• Built looms for weaving cloth
• Devised a rainbow of glittery paints using mica
• First to produce rubber products
Writing
• The Maya created a writing system of hieroglyphics
Mathematics
• The Maya created a set of numerals
• Also developed a 365-day calendar
B. Inca Civilization
• The Inca controlled an empire in the Andes
Mountain region of South America.
Scientific Ideas and Tools
Developed by Inca Civilization
• Roads paved with stones
• Stone buildings that surmounted earthquakes and
other disasters
• The Inca built a massive road network through
mountains and across rivers and gorges.
• The Inca constructed stone temples without using
mortars yet the stones fit together so well that a
knife would not fit between the stones.
Scientific Ideas and Tools
Developed by Inca Civilization
• Irrigation system and technique for storing water
for their crops to grow in all types of land
• Calendar with 12 months to mark their religious
festivals and prepare them for planting season
• The first suspension bridge
• Quipu, a system of knotted ropes to keep records
that only experts can interpret
• Inca textiles
C. Aztecs
• The Aztecs lived in what is known as the Valley of
Mexico in central Mexico.
Tenochtitlan
• Tenochtitlan was the capital city of the Aztec
Empire.
Legend of Tenochtitlan
Contribution to Science
and Technology
• Mandatory education
• Chocolates
• Antispasmodic medication
• Chinampa
• Aztec calendar
• Canoe
Pyramid of the Sun Pyramid of the Moon
II. Asia
A. India

Indus
River
Ganges
River
Medicine
• Ayurveda- traditional medicine
• Susruta Samhita- describes different surgical
procedures
Astronomy
 Spherical Earth
 The year of 360 days with 12 equal parts of 30 days
each
 Siddhanta Shiromani- includes mean and true
longitudes of the planets; syzygies, lunar and solar
eclipses’ the moon’s crescent and the paths of sun and
moon
Mathematics
• Hindu-Arabic numerical system
• Aryabhatiya- introduced a number of
trigonometric functions, tables and
techniques as well as algorithms of
algebra
B. Middle East
Medicine
• Ibn Sina- first physician to conduct clinical trial

• Book of healing and the canon of medicine

• Discovery of the contagious nature of infectious


diseases and the introduction of clinical
pharmacology
Mathematics
• Arabic numeral system

• Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi- gave his name


to the concept of the algorithm

• Algebra is derived from al-jabr


Chemistry
• Jabir ibn Hayyan- father of chemistry
III. Africa
• Used 3 types of calendars: lunar, solar and stellar
• Mettalurgy
• The Lebombo Bone- tool for simple mathematical
calculation

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