Lesson 1: Evidence of Science and Technology during Pre-Historic Times (3000-5000 BC)

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the lesson the students should be able to:

1. Describe the development of science and technology during this time;

2. Determine the significance and impact of the development of science and technology to the society.

INTRODUCTION

Early humans attempted to understand the unknown world, they were curious about their nature. They
observed and started to record patterns, cycles, and repetitions of what was happening in their environment
and started to look for answers. With their experience they were able to analyze and organize information and
learned which led to understanding of science.

DISCUSSION

Man’s achievements in science can be categorized as: (a) discovery (recognition and observation of
new objects); (b) invention (mental process wherein man’s various discoveries, observation and experience
are put together to produce new ways (operation) and means (tools) of obtaining things (useful).

STONE AGE: This period was marked by which stone was widely used to make tools and implements. Dated
roughly 3.4 billion years ago, and in about 8000 BC this era was derived into three separate periods –
Paleolithic Period (Early), Mesolithic Period (Middle), and Neolithic (New) – based on the degree of
sophistication in the fashioning and use of tools. It is believed that tool making began very early in the olden
times. The era of Australophitecus and Paranthropus were contemporaneous with the evolution of the genus
Homo. Man was a food gatherer, depended for his subsistence
on hunting wild animals and birds, fishing, and collecting of wild fruits, nuts, and berries.

Tools developed gradually from single to all-purpose tools to a collection of varied and highly
specialized types of tools, each designed to serve in connection with a specific function. This trend from a
stage of non-specialization to stages of relatively high degrees of specialization. In the manufacture of stone
implements, four fundamental traditions were developed by the Paleolithic ancestors: (1) pebble tool
traditions, (2) bifacial-tool tradition or hand-axe traditions, (3) flake-tool traditions, and (4) blade-tool
traditions.

Stone tools were made from variety of stones: flint and chert were shaped or chipped for use as
cutting tools, flakes, blades, and weapons; Flaking was able to produce a wide range of special tools that was
used for cutting, chopping, scraping, and sawing. Basalt sandstone were use for ground stone tools. Wood,
bone, shell, antler, and other materials were widely used, as well.

The Early Stone Age includes most basic stone toolkits made by early humans. The oldest stone
tools, known as the Oldowan toolkit, consist of hammer stones that show battering on their surfaces; stone
cores that show series of flake scars along one or more edges; and sharp stone flakes that were struck from
the cores and offer useful cutting edges. Hand axes are cutting tools as well as other kinds of ‘large cutting
tools’ are characteristics of an Acheulean toolkit.

During the middle Paleolithic time, the pace of innovation in stone technology began to accelerate.
Hand axes were made with exquisite craftmanship, and eventually gave way to smaller, more diverse toolkits,
with an emphasis on flake tools rather than large core tools. One of the main innovations was the application
of ‘prepared core techniques’, in which a core was carefully flaked on one side so that a flake of
predetermined size and shape could be produced in a single blow. This technique probably raised the level of
standardization and predictability in stone technology.

Middle Stone Age toolkits included points, which could be hafted on the shafts to make spears. When
smaller points were eventually made, they were attached to smaller, sleeker shafts to make darts, arrows, and
other projectile weapons. Stone awls have been used to perforate hides and scrapers. Many important
inventions appeared such as needle s and thread, skin clothing, the harpoon, the spear thrower, and special
fishing equipment.

Sample of Stone Age Tools

The Neolithic Stone Age was characterized primarily by herding societies, as well as bronze smelting,
adoption of agriculture, the shift from food gathering to food producing, development of pottery using
sediments and clay. Agriculture was developed and certain animals were raised as well. Moreover, recent
evidence indicates that humans processed and consumed wild cereal grains.

BRONZE AGE: The Bronze Age is the second principal period of three-age Stone-Bronze-Iron system and
generally followed the Neolithic period. This period is marked with the beginning of mining and metallurgy.
Bronze denotes the first period in which metal was used, man began smelting copper and alloying with tin or
arsenic to make bronze tools and weapons. Copper-tin ores are, as reflected in fact that there were no tin
bronzes in Western Asia before trading in bronze that began in the third millennium BC. Bronze itself is
harder and more durable than other metals available at the time, allowing Bronze Age civilizations to gain
technological advantage.

 Man made tin bronze technology required set production techniques. Tin must be mined and smelted
separately, then added to molten copper to make bronze alloy. The Bronze Age was a time of
extensive use of materials and developing trade and networks.

Sample of Bronze tools

IRON AGE is the period in prehistory when the dominant tool making material was iron. Preceded by the
Stone Age and Bronze Age, the transition from Bronze Age occurred at different times in different places on
Earth. As the name suggests, Iron Age Technology is characterized by the production of tools and weaponry
using ferrous metallurgy or iron work more specifically from carbon steel. Meteoric iron has been used by
humans since 3200 BC, but ancient iron production did not become widespread until the ability to smelt iron
ore, remove impurities and regulate the amount of carbon in the alloy were developed.

The distinctive dark metal brought with it significant changes to daily life in ancient society, from the
way people grew crops to the way they fought wars. Iron made life a lot easier in those days, much of Europe
had settled into small village of life, toiling the soil with Iron farming tools, such as sickles and plough tips,
made the process more efficient and allowed farmers to exploit tougher soils, try new crops and have more
time for other activities.

Sample of Iron Tools

Farm Tools made from Iron

*** End of Lesson ***