GENERAL CONCEPTS

in SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY, &
SOCIETY
 CHAPTER 1: Historical
Antecedents in the Course of
Science and Technology
 Ancient Times
 Medieval/Middle Ages
 Modern Times
 Philippine Inventions
ANCIENT TIMES
In the Ancient times, people
were concerned with
transportation and navigation,
communication and record
keeping, mass production,
security and protection, as well
as health, aesthetic, and
architecture
 Transportation
- People were trying to go places and
discover new horizons.
-They travelled to search for food and
find better locations for their
settlements.
- They also travelled to trade their
surplus goods in exchange for things
that they lacked.
- Navigation assisted them in their
journeys to unfamiliar and strange
areas in the world.
-It allowed them to return home after
they discovered new places or
completed an important trade with
another group of people.
 COMMUNICATION
Was also essential in their endeavors to
discover and occupy new places.
- They needed a way to communicate with
the natives of the areas they visited so as to
facilitate trade and prevent possible
conflicts.

RECORD-KEEPING
Was also important since they needed to
remember the places they had been to and
document the trades they made with each
other.
 MASS PRODUCTION
The increased in size number
of nations connoted increased
demand for food and other
basic necessities.

WEAPONS & ARMORS

- Were important as well in the discovery of new places or the
establishment of new alliances with other tribes.
The development of weapons and armors for security and
protection was considered a major achievement.
 Conservation of Life
The early people might
have been successful in
harnessing the rich
resources that the world
could provide, but their
survival posed a great
problem.
- Different illnesses and
diseases, both natural and
Moreover, in order to integrate their man-made, hampered the
needs for better transportation, full potential of a human
establishment of structures for being.
protection from human attacks and
natural disasters, and construction of
bigger and stronger infrastructures
people ventured into what is now
known as the field of engineering.
The development in engineering also ushered in the introduction
of Architecture. Others might see architecture as a mere style,
but during the ancient times, elaborate architectural designs
were signs of technological advancement of a particular
civilization.
 Sumerian
Civilization
• Sumeria is located on
the southernmost tip of
Mesopotamia.
• Sumerians are known
for their desire for great
things.
• They are not contented
with the basic things
that life can offer.
• This desire pushed them
to develop many things
connected with science
and technology
 Cuneiform
One of the major contributions of the
Sumerians is the development of the first
writing system known as cuneiform.
It is a system that utilizes word pictures
and triangular symbols which are carved
on clay using wedge instruments and then
left to dry.
Cuneiform allowed the Sumerians to
keep records of things with great historical
value of their everyday life.
Uruk City

• It is considered to be the They used the bricks to make

first city in the world. houses that protected them
from harsh weather and to
• The Sumerians were able to
build a wall around the city
build the city using only
that prevented wild animals
mud or clay from the river,
and neighboring raiders from
which they mixed with
entering
reeds, producing sun-baked
bricks.
 The Great Ziggurat Irrigation & Dikes
of Ur • As population increased,
• The Ziggurat, also called so did the demand for
the mountain of God, food. The Sumerians were
was built in the same challenged to mass
manner they constructed produce food items but
the City of Uruk. the elements in the
• The Ziggurat served as environment seemed
the sacred place of their uncooperative.
chief God, where only • It was difficult to get
their priests were allowed water from the rivers, thus
to enter. they could not maintain
farmlands.
• some groups had scarce
water supply, while others
had problems with
flooding caused by the
river.
•The Sumerians created •Through dikes and
dikes and irrigation canals, the Sumerians
canals to bring water to were able to enjoy year-
farmlands and at the
long farming and
same time control the
harvesting, which
flooding of rivers.
increased their food
•This method was production.
considered as one of
the world’s most
beneficial engineering
works
 Sailboats
•Another challenge to the Sumerians was
transportation. at that time, the wheel was
not yet invented; the main mode of
transportation was through waterways
such as rivers and seas.
• Boats were used to carry large quantities
of products and were able to cover large
distances.
Some sources attributed to the Sumerians
the invention of sailboats to address their
increasing demands.
•Sailboats were essential in transportation
and trading as well as in fostering culture,
information, and technology.
Wheel
-The Sumerians were able to
invent the wheel since the
specialized tools needed to
The Plow
create it were already available.
•Another farm technology
-The first wheels were not made
invented by the
for transportation but for farm
works and food processes. Mesopotamians is the plow.
-With use of the wheel and axle, •Humans evolved from being
mass production was made food gatherers to farm
easier. cultivators.
-Farmers were able to mill grains •The plow was invented to dig
with less effort in less time. the earth in a faster pace.
•With this tool, farmers could
cultivate larger parcels of land
faster, enabling them to mass
produce food w/o taking so
much effort and time.
 •They made the roads
with the same
technology they used in
making the sun-baked
bricks that they laid
down on the ground.
•They later poured
bitumen, a black sticky
substance similar to
asphalt, to smoothen
Roads the roads.
•The invention of roads
In order to facilitate faster and easier was very useful
travel, the Sumerians developed the especially during the
first roads. With this work, the flow of rainy season when
traffic became faster and more travelling in soft and
organized. muddy roads proved to
be too difficult.
BABYLONIAN
CIVILIZATION
• Babylonian
civilization emerged
Hanging Gardens
near the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers.
of Babylon
-It was said to be a
• The Babylonians structure made up of
was great builders, layers of gardens that
engineers, and contained several species
architects. of plants, trees, and vines.
• One of their major - according to the
legends, the great
contributions is the
Babylonian King
hanging gardens of Nebuchadnezzar II built
Babylon, one of the the gardens for his wife,
seven wonders of the Queen Amytis.
ancient world.
• However, no physical • Many said it was just a
evidence has been found product of the creative
to prove the existence of imagination of the great
the Hanging Gardens of King because it lacked
Babylon. documentation or
• Its exact location is also archeological evidence.
unknown. • On the other hand, if it
• People have been really existed, it must
debating about the have been destroyed by
existence of the said war, erosion, or an
mythical place. earthquake.
 EGYPTIAN
CIVILIZATION
• Another early civilization famous
for its legacy is the Egyptian
civilization located in North
Africa. Many stories tell about the
engineering feats of the Egyptians
especially regarding the
infrastructures established by the
pharaohs.
• Aside from engineering
technology, the Egyptians have
contributed other practical things
that the world now considers as
essential.
• It is thus safe to say that the
pyramids are not the only
contributions of the Egyptian
civilization to the modern world.
 Paper or
Papyrus
• One of the earlier
contributions of
Egyptian Civilization
was the paper or Papyrus was a plant that grew
papyrus. abundantly along the Nile River in
• Although Egypt was Egypt. They were able to process the
plant in order to produce thin sheets
not the first to develop on which one could write down
a system of writing, things.
they were able to Since papyrus was lighter and
make writing easier for thinner than clay tablets, it was easy
to carry and store. The sheets were
the world. also less breakable as compared to
clay tablets.
 Ink
• When the Egyptians • It must also be tamper-
invented the papyrus or the proof so that people could
paper, engraving ceased to not simply tinker with those
be used in writing. As a written down by
result, the Egyptians authorities.
invented inks by combing
soot with different
chemicals to produce inks
of different colors.
• The ink must withstand the
elements of nature since it
was used to record history,
culture, and codified laws.
HIEROGLYPHICS
• Like the Sumerians, the • This form of writing can still be
seen today and remains to be
Egyptians also developed a as famous as the pyramids
system of writing using where they found.
symbols, known as • Hieroglyphics was the language
that tells the modern world of
hieroglyphics. the history and culture of the
• Although some say that ancient Egyptians.
hieroglyphics was adapted • Their records were well-
preserved since they were
from the early writing carved at the walls of pyramids
system established in and other important Egyptian
structures.
Mesopotamia as a result of
trade between civilizations,
the Egyptians believed that
this writing system was
provided to them by their
Gods.
COSMETICS WIG
- The Egyptians also invented - another cosmetic invention of
the use of cosmetics. ancient Egyptians is the wig.
- Although cosmetics in the - At present, wigs are used to
modern times are used to enhance to appearance of people
who are balding or those who
improve and highlight the want to try new hair trends.
facial features of a person, their
function in ancient Egypt was - Meanwhile, during the ancient
Egyptian times, wigs were worn
for both health and aesthetic for health and wellness rather
reasons. than for aesthetic purposes.
- Egyptians wore kohl around - The wigs were used to protect the
the eyes to prevent and even shaved heads of the wealthy
cure eye diseases. Egyptians from the harmful rays
- Kohl was created by mixing of the sun. wearing a wig was
soot or malachite with mineral better than putting on a scarf or
any other head cover since a wig
galena. allowed heat to escape.
- Egyptians also believed that a Moreover, it was considered
person wearing make-up was cleaner than natural hair because
protected from evil and that it prevented the accumulation of
beauty was a sign of holiness. head lice.
 Water
Clock/Clepsydra
• Another important • Remaining in the
ancient Egyptian device determines how
contribution is the much time has elapsed
water clock. This device since it is full. In the
utilizes gravity that process, time is
affects the flow of measured. The water
water from one vessel clock was widely used
to the other. The as a timekeeping
amount of water (or its device during the
height, depending in ancient times.
the method used)