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Prelim STS Module 1

The document summarizes several ancient civilizations and their technological advancements including: The Sumerians developed cuneiform writing, irrigation systems, sailboats, the wheel, and the plow. The Babylonians built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The Egyptians invented paper, ink, hieroglyphics, cosmetics, and water clocks. The Greeks invented alarm clocks and water mills. The Romans developed newspapers, bound books, and the Roman numeral system. The Chinese invented silk production, tea production, gunpowder, and built the Great Wall of China.

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Ma. Oliva Diana Castro
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
62 views

Prelim STS Module 1

The document summarizes several ancient civilizations and their technological advancements including: The Sumerians developed cuneiform writing, irrigation systems, sailboats, the wheel, and the plow. The Babylonians built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The Egyptians invented paper, ink, hieroglyphics, cosmetics, and water clocks. The Greeks invented alarm clocks and water mills. The Romans developed newspapers, bound books, and the Roman numeral system. The Chinese invented silk production, tea production, gunpowder, and built the Great Wall of China.

Uploaded by

Ma. Oliva Diana Castro
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Historical Antecedents in the Course of Science and Technology

ANCIENT TIMES
In ancient times, people were concerned with transportation and navigation,
communication and record keeping, mass production, security and protection, as well as health,
aesthetics, engineering and architecture.

Early civilization Technological Advancements

A. Sumerian civilization
The Sumerians made many advances that helped their society develop.
1. Cuneiform
• -World’s first system of writing that utilizes word pictures and triangular symbols. The
Sumerians wrote on clay tablets with sharp tools called styluses. The Sumerians first
used cuneiform to keep business records. They also used their writing skills to write
books about history, poems, and math. A new class of people who wrote and made copies
were called scribes.
2. Uruk City
- considered to be the first true city in the world. Sumerians were able to build the city
using only mud or clay from the river, which they mixed with reeds, producing Sun-
baked bricks.
3. The Great Ziggurat of Ur
- the ziggurat also called “the mountain of god” was built in the same manner that they
constructed the City of Uruk. It served as the sacred place of their chief god, where only
their priests were allowed to enter.
4. Irrigation and Dikes
- The Sumerians created dikes and irrigation canals to bring water to farm lands and at
the same time control the flooding of their rivers.
5. Sailboats
- Sailboats were essential in transportation and trading as well as in fostering culture,
information, and technology.
6. Wheel
- the first wheels were not made for transportation but for farm work and food processes.
With the use of the wheel and axle, mass production was made easier.
7. The plow
- Humans evolved from being food gatherers to farm cultivators. The plow increased
farm production.
8. Roads
- To facilitate faster travel, Sumerians developed the first road with the same technology
they used in making the sun-baked bricks that they laid down on the ground.

B. Babylonian Civilization
The Babylonians were great builders, engineers, and architects.

1. Hanging Gardens of Babylon


- One of the seven wonders of the ancient world. A structure made up of layers upon
layers of gardens that contained several species of plants, trees, and vines. According to
legends, the great Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II built the gardens for his wife
Queen Amytis.
-
C. Egyptian Civilization
1. Paper or Papyrus
- Egyptians were able to process the plant (papyrus) in order to produce thin sheets on
which one could write down things. Since papyrus was lighter and thinner than clay
tablets, it was easy to carry and store.
2. Ink
- Egyptians invented ink by combining soot with different chemicals to produce inks of
different colors.
3. Hieroglyphics
- a system of writing using symbols. Hieroglyphics was the language that tells the
modern world of the history and culture of the ancient Egyptians.
4. Cosmetics
- In ancient Egypt, cosmetics was for both health and aesthetic reasons. Egyptian wear
kohl around the eyes to prevent and even cure eye diseases. They also believed that a
person wearing make-up was protected from evil and that beauty was a sign of holiness.
-Wig were used to protect the shaved heads of the wealthy Egyptian from the harmful
rays of the sun.
5. Water Clock/Clepsydra
- This device utilizes gravity that affects the flow of the water from one vessel to the
other. The amount of water remaining in the device determines how much time has
elapsed since it is full.

D. Greek Civilization
Greece is an archipelago in the southeastern part of Europe. Known as the birthplace of
western philosophy.
1. Alarm Clock
- The Greek’s alarm clock made use of water (sometimes stone or sand) that dropped into
drums which sounded the alarm.
2. Water Mill
- they were commonly used in the agricultural processes like milling of grains which was
a necessary food processing.

E. Roman Civilization
- Roman Empire was perceived to be the strongest political and social entity in the west.
It was also considered to be the cradle of politics and governance during that period.

1. Newspaper
- Gazettes, the first newspapers contained announcements of the Roman Empire to the
people.
2. Bound books or Codex
- With the invention of paper, record keeping was much easier. It marks the start of
stacking up papyrus to form pages of a book. The earlier covers were made of wax but
were later on replaced by animal skin. With the papyrus pages bound together and
covered by animal skin, the ancient roman empire was able to produce the first book.
3. Roman Numerals
- a number system specifically to address the need for a standard counting method that
would meet their increasing communication and trade concerns.

F. Chinese Civilization
- It is considered to be the oldest civilization in Asia. AKA the middle kingdom, China is
situated on the far east of Asia.
1. Silk
- the Chinese were the ones who developed the technology to harvest the silk and process
it to produce paper and clothing. Silk production resulted in the creation of a product for
trade, which opens china to the outside world, making way for cultural, economic, and
scientific changes.
2. Tea Production
- It was believed that the first tea was drunk by a Chinese emperor. Tea production was
developed when an unknown Chinese inventor created a machine that was able to shred
tea leaves into strips.
3. Great Wall of China
- It is said to be the largest and most extensive infrastructure that the nation has built. The
wall’s construction put the nation among the powerful civilizations during ancient times.
4. Gun Powder
- a black powder from the mixture of charcoal, sulfur and potassium nitrate that could
generate large amount of heat and gas in an instant. It is widely used to propel bullets
from guns and cannons which caused countless death. Additionally, gun powder is also
used in fireworks during important celebrations in china.

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