ENSCI 1100: Science Technology and Society / 1

Eugenio, Angelo BSABE 2-3

Inventions and Societies

(Worksheet for Learning Task 2.1)

Introduction

Our goal in this lesson is to learn how science and technology have progressed throughout time, particularly during the ancient
times and the Middle Ages.

Periods in History (https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldcivilization/chapter/splitting-history/)

Humans began to evolve about seven million years ago, and progressed through four stages of evolution. Research shows that
the first modern humans appeared 200,000 years ago. That’s a lot of time! Historians often split history into periods. Periodization
is the process of categorizing the past into discrete, quantified, named blocks of time in order to facilitate the study and analysis of
history. This results in descriptive abstractions that provide convenient terms for periods of time with relatively stable
characteristics.

The common general split between prehistory (before written history), ancient history, Middle Ages, modern history, and
contemporary history (history within the living memory) is a Western division of the largest blocks of time agreed upon by Western
historians and representing the Western point of view. For example, the history of Asia or Africa cannot be neatly categorized
following these periods. However, we shall adopt these periods in this course.

The ancient world covers the period between 3500 BC to 500 AD, the Middle Ages was from 500 to 1500 AD, while the modern
period began from 1500 AD (http://www.essential-humanities.net/history-overview/world-history-timeline/).
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Activity I

1. Please download “World History: Cultures, States, and Societies to 1500” from
https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/history-textbooks/2/.
2. Fill in the table below with the necessary information that may be obtained from the book (or other sources in some cases).
Look at the item in the “Invention/Discovery” column. Go to the page indicated. Read about the item. Learn about what it is
and how it is used (you may consult other resources if necessary). Browse the book for information about the civilization
that developed the item to understand why the item/s needed to be developed. In the 2nd column below the name of
invention/discovery, you can add a picture of the invention/discovery. In the last column, try to justify the invention of the
item/s.

Civilization/ Invention/Discovery Description of the item and/or how it Why do you think the
Period in history works invention/discovery was important
for civilization/society?

Sumerians/ Cuneiform (p. 29) “A written script of wedge-shaped The cuneiform was essential for
Ancient marks;” “styluses made of reed to communication and record keeping.
write on clay tablets that were dried The Sumerians needed it to manage
and could be stored;” used for the affairs of the city (financial
keeping “written records describing transactions, court proceedings,
financial transactions, court administrative decisions, and
proceedings, administrative architectural plans), and for trade
decisions, and architectural plans;” with other cities. They also used it
also used to write legends, epic to record stories, poems and
poems, chants, and prayers. prayers, ensuring that they can be
[Source: World History: Cultures, passed on to the next generation.
States, and Societies to 1500]

ANCIENT Irrigation, drainage ditches, “To control the flow of water;” “They To irrigate their land, they dug large
 ENSCI 1100: Science Technology and Society / 3
MESOPOTAMIA water reserves (p. 37) also stored water in reservoirs to use
during the dry months of the year;” “
in parts of Lower Mesopotamia, the
courses of the rivers and their
tributaries changed frequently, so
people either had to move to follow
the water’s new path or divert a river
to continue supplying water for their
settlement.[Source: World History:
Cultures, States, and Societies to
1500]
ANCIENT Hieroglyphics and papyrus (p. “Both sides of the Palette of Narmer
EGYPT 44) also have some of the earliest known
hieroglyphs;” “to chronicle glorified
accounts of their patrons’ lives on the
sides of their tombs;” “The Egyptian
administration tended to use ink and
papyrus to maintain its official
records;” “one of the earliest writing
systems and Egyptian paper”
[Source: World History: Cultures,
States, and Societies to 1500]
THE SONG Moveable-type printing (p. 161) “During the Song Dynasty,
DYNASTY moveable-type printing also began to
be widely used;” “contributing to an
increase in literacy and broader
exposure to these new ideas;”
“Chinese characters Page | 162 were
carved on wood blocks, which were
then arranged in boxes that could be
reservoirs to hold water supplies.
Then they dug canals, human-made
waterways, which connected these
reservoirs to a network of ditches.
These trenches brought water to the
fields. Farmers built the banks of the
Tigris and the Euphrates to protect
their fields from flooding.
It is the precursor to modern paper,
the name of which is derived from
the word "papyrus." Papers written
on papyrus were often sealed with a
mud seal embossed with a scarab
seal stamp, much in the same way
that wax seals were later used.
Movable type was never widely used
in China because whole-block
printing was less expensive, but
when movable type reached Europe
in the 15th century, it revolutionized
the communication of ideas.
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dipped in ink and printed on paper;”

[Source: World History: Cultures,
States, and Societies to 1500]

THE SONG Gunpowder (p. 162) “Explosives derived from gunpowder Song military engineers found
DYNASTY were engineered to open mines;” gunpowder to be helpful in siege
“Other inventions that made China warfare, leading to the development
one of the most technologically of early types of rockets, cannons,
innovative during this time include bombs, and mines.
gunpowder weapons and the
mariner’s compass.;” “Gunpowder
weapons first begin to be widely
used in East Asia and during the
Song Dynasty.;” [Source: World
History: Cultures, States, and
Societies to 1500]

The Catapult (p. 200) “Catapults, so useful for targeting a “The Catapult was invented at
Peloponnesian city from the outside, first came into Syracuse”
War (431 – 404 being in 399 BCE, five years after the
BCE) war had ended.;”
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Rise of the Hoplon (p. 187) “Armed in the same way – with a Useful in providing them the ability
Hoplite Phalanx helmet, spear, and the round shield, to take cover, practically inside of it,
and the Polis the hoplon, which gave the hoplites
 ENSCI 1100: Science Technology and Society / 6

their name – the soldiers were when a barrage of missiles rained

arranged in rows, possibly as much down upon them.
as seven deep.;”

Hellenistic Pharos (p.212) the Pharos, or Lighthouse, of Its practical purpose was to guide
Culture Alexandria was ships into the harbor at night, it also
one of the most famous examples of exemplified the bold advances and
Hellenistic architecture and has experimental spirit of Hellenistic
remained a symbol of the city to the architecture.
present day. Constructed in 280
BCE, it was considered to be one of
the Seven Wonders of the Ancient
World and was one of the tallest
buildings in the world at the time.

THE Heat ray (p. 212) The device, sometimes called the Basically, to destroy enemy ships
EMERGENCE "Archimedes heat ray" or even “the due to its heat capacity. Which also
OF A FEUDAL death ray” was used to focus a great front line for their defense.
ORDER IN sunlight/sun rays onto approaching
WESTERN ships, causing them to catch fire.
EUROPE
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GROWTH IN Heavy plow (p.434) Based form iron tools that allows As Europe’s climate, which was
AGRICULTURE farmers to plow deeper into the thick becoming warmer in the eleventh,
soil of western Europe twelfth, and thirteenth centuries,
thus more iron tools and new
agricultural techniques caused
yields to rise and using heavy plow
made it possibly easier to cultivate
lands.

Three field system of Fields would have one third given
GROWTH IN agriculture (p.435) over to cereal crops, one third
AGRICULTURE to crops such as legumes (which
increase fertility in soil), and a third
left fallow, i.e., uncultivated
either to serve as grazing land for
livestock or simply rebuild its
nutrients by lying unused.
Let’s farmers plant more crops thus
increases production. If one crop
failed then there’s still 2 options to
choose from. Crop rotation allows
fields to be left unplanted or fallow in
order to allow the soil to recover
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SCHOLASTICIS Eyeglasses (p. 461) Western Europeans invented
M eyeglasses or spectacles, are vision
eyewear, consisting of glass or hard
plastic lenses mounted in a frame
that holds them in front of a person's
eyes, typically utilizing a bridge over
the nose and hinged arms (known as
temples or temple pieces) which rest
over the ears
Activity II
Glasses are typically used for vision
correction, such as with reading
glasses and glasses used for
nearsightedness; however, without
the specialized lenses, they are
sometimes used for cosmetic
purposes. Safety glasses provide
eye protection against flying debris
for construction workers or lab
technicians; these glasses may
have protection for the sides of the
eyes as well as in the lenses. Some
types of safety glasses are used to
protect against visible and near-
visible light or radiation
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Reflect on the characteristics of the societies in the ancient civilizations. What were the concerns during those times? Write a 150-
word essay about how you think the needs of societies in the past differ with what we need today. How can the differences in past
and present needs partly affect the kind of inventions produced? Write your essay below.

Societies from the past were focused on their survival, the emergence of civil wars, also the majority lacks critical thinking so
they were easily deceived, and a lot of faction was present due to the flourishment of their cultures and thirst for power and
influence but few of them managed to contribute to the fundamental concepts that still being used today and breakthroughs of
humankind. Compared to our society today which is very convenient due to the technological advancements made possible by tech
industries. Wars are not very common because of alliances and peace talks. But sure, thing is that power and influence were not
been removed from the equation and patriarchy is present in some countries. Inventions of the past made a fundamental view for
the society today and mistakes of the past had been a great way to showcase innovations that changes the lives of the majority of
the population and that driven individuals are not contended on what they have so they keep on innovating and making things that
is beyond the grasp of anyone else in this world.