GE 12 Reviewer

Historical Antecedents on the Course of Science and Technology: Ancient Times

SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION - Sumerians are considered the creators of civilization as they are known for
their innovations in language, governance and architecture.
CUNEIFORM: THE FIRST WRITING SYSTEM
stylus- is pressed into soft clay to produce wedge-like impressions that represent word-signs
(pictographs) and, later, phonograms or `word-concepts'.
GREAT CITY OF URUK – THE FIRST CITY AND THE POWERHOUSE OF TECHNOLOGY, ARCHITECTURE AND
CULTURE
Uruk the first major city in Sumer built in the 5th century BC and is considered one of the largest
Sumerian settlements and most important religious centers in Mesopotamia.
Sumerians invented the wooden boat
Sumerians invented the wheel and plow

INVENTIONS IN MESOPOTAMIA
Mesopotamia was situated between two famous rivers Euphrates and the Tigris.
Irrigation systems canals, gated ditches, levees and gates to bring water to large stretches of territory
through a widely branching network of canals.
IRRIGATION AND DIKES- HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
The development of irrigation system was one of the major trails towards civilization and
modernization.
SCHOOLS
Schools were common in Sumerian culture, marking the world’s first mass effort to pass along
knowledge in order to keep a society running and building on itself and schools were reserved only for
the elite and wealthy, students had to work hard to learn the skills of a scribe.

BABYLONIAN CIVILIZATION
The city of Babylon, whose ruins are in present-day Iraq, was founded more than 4,000 years ago as a
small port town on the Euphrates River.
THE HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLON
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, a colossal maze of terraced trees, shrubs, flowers and manmade
waterfalls, are one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
ASTRONOMY
Astronomy and astrology occupied a conspicuous place in Babylonian society, the zodiac was a
Babylonian invention of great antiquity; and eclipses of the sun and moon could be foretold.
CALENDAR SYSTEM
They used a calendar with alternating 29- and 30-day months.
JEWELRY MAKING
Jewelry making originated from the Babylonians. They use metals and precious gems in making jewelry.
ASSYRIAN CIVILIZATION
The Assyrian civilization is a great empire in Mesopotamia known for their powerful army andwar
strategies.
EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION
Egypt is home to one of the oldest civilizations on earth situated along the Nile river, it thrived for
thousands of years as an independent nation whose culture was famous for great cultural advances in
every area of human knowledge, from the arts to science to technology and religion.
PAPYRUS
Papyrus paper is the first paper in history it revolutionized the literary world by producing a smooth,
flexible writing material that could accept and retain ink without a blur or smudge. Papyrus remain in
use for longer than any other material in the history of written documents. Papyrus is actually a plant
(Cyperus papyrus) growing along Nile river.
INKS AND HIEROGLYPHICS
Inks used in writing on papyrus were usually made from soot (carbon-based material resulting from
burning) and combined with different minerals for colored ink, such as galena (lead containing grayish
mineral) and malachite (copper containing green mineral).
Hieroglyphics was their main writing system and historians believed it was the result of trade between
Egypt and Mesopotamia but Egyptians believed it came from their gods as gift.
COSMETIC MAKEUP
Ancient Egypt was one of the vainest ancient civilizations and one of the first nations that, created
perfumes, oils and other beauty treatments.
They combined soot with galena to create a black ointment known as kohl.
WIGS
During the hot summers many Egyptians shaved their heads to keep them clean and prevent infestation
of lice.
EGYPTIAN WATER CLOCK OR 'CLEPSYDRA’
The ability to keep track of time seems to be taken for granted.
Water clock or 'clepsydra was filled with water, which leaked out slowly indicating the passage of hours.
Mummification is a method of embalming, or treating the dead body using special processes. The
Egyptians removed all moisture from the body, leaving only a dried form that would not easily decay.
GREEK CIVILIZATION
Ancient Greece can be credited with many inventions and discoveries in the areas of astronomy,
geography, and mathematics that made them pioneers in the field of science.
Hippocrates was an ancient Greek physician of the Classical age and was considered one of the most
outstanding figures in the history of medicine.
Aristotle introduced the idea of the earth as a globe. He also classified animals and is often referred to
as the father of zoology. Theophrastus was the first botanist that we know of in written history. The
Pythagoreans not only made the earliest advances in philosophy and geometry, but they also proposed
the heliocentric hypothesis of the earth revolving around the sun and not the other way around as was
believed at that time. Archimedes discovered that submerging a solid object in water would displace the
same amount of liquid as the object’s weight. Philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were such
influential philosophers that their studies were used to teach subsequent ages of Romans and other
Western cultures.
WATER MILL
Water mills were a revolutionary invention and have been used all over the world for the purpose of
metal shaping, agriculture and, most importantly, milling.

ROMAN CIVILIZATION
The Roman Empire was one of the greatest empires, and one of the most influential civilizations of all
time. Romans were always at the forefront of economy and aggression.
ARCHITECTURE
Romans were always excellent when it came to civil engineering. But it isn’t the colosseums or beautiful
arches where they showed their complexity and knowledge in the trade.
Medicine and Health
Romans, know that the cesarean section was devised in Rome. Roman emperors weren’t just keen on
using such tool in hospitals or medical centers.
Codex and Gazettes
They used to inscribe current affairs onto stones or metal slabs and later papers. These were then
placed in spots where people could read them.
ANCIENT CHINESE CIVILIZATION
Ancient Chinese were innovative and determinant they have bestowed the four greatest inventions in
the world even till today in the Chinese culture – compass, gunpowder, papermaking, and printing.
GUNPOWDER
Gunpowder was invented by Chinese Taoist alchemists about 1000 A.D. when they tried to find a potion
to gain human immortality by mixing elemental sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter (created gunpowder or
black powder).
TEA PRODUCTION
Tea was discovered in Ancient China by the Chinese Emperor Shennong in 2737 BCE. Shennong liked to
drink hot water. One day during his trip, he and his army stopped to rest. His servant prepared a hot
boiling water for him.
SILK
Silk, one of the oldest fibers, originated in China as early as 6,000 years ago. Chinese people mastered
sophisticated silk weaving tech and closely guarded secret, and the West had to pay gold of the same
weight for the silks.
In ancient times the silk was a very important item made in China and for many centuries businessmen
transported this precious item from China to the West, forming the famous Silk Road.
GREAT WALL OF CHINA
Great Wall of China is one of the rigorous attempt by the mankind in the entire history. The Great Wall
of China was built by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang (260–210 BC) to protect from northern
invaders.

Historical Antecedents on the Course of Science and Technology: Modern Times

MODERN TIMES
'The Industrial Revolution' refers to a period of massive economic, technological, social, and cultural
change which affected humans to such an extent that it's often compared to the change from hunter-
gathering to farming.
Louis Pasteur
Milk pasteurization
Louise Pasteur is regarded as one of the greatest saviors of humanity and was responsible of the
discovery of pasteurization.
Pasteurization: (Wine & Beer Diseases)
Pasteur continued his research and applied his microbiological techniques to agricultural and industrial
sectors successfully.
PETROLEUM REFINERY Grandfather of the American Oil Industry," Samuel Martin Kier helped to
establish the petroleum refining business by becoming the first person in the U.S. to refine crude oil into
lamp oil. When a doctor prescribed medicinal oil for his wife's illness in 1849, Kier began experimenting
with the oily substance.
Alexander Graham Bell
Telephone
In the Industrial Revolution, many inventions were created that had led to significant impacts to society.
One of these inventions included the telephone. The telephone was made in 1876 by Alexander Graham
Bell.
Historical Antecedents on the Course of Science and Technology: Medieval Period
MEDIEVAL PERIOD
The Medieval period (also known as the Middle Ages) started during 5th century to 1500 CE was a
period of massive wars and people migrations in its early period and ends with the Age of Exploration.
PRINTING PRESS The printing press is the most important invention of the Middle Ages. It wrenched
control of information distribution from The State and The Church and laid the paths for Protestant
Reformation, The Renaissance, and The Enlightenment.
In 1455, Johannes Gutenberg created with the aid of an old winepress one of most important inventions
of the past 1000 years, the printing press.
MICROSCOPE AND TELESCOPE
The Dutch spectacle maker Hans Janssen and his son Zacharias are generally credited with creating
these compound microscopes. The two of them built what was probably the first compound microscope
in the last decade of the 16th century. It had a magnification that could be adjusted between 3X and 9X.
Weaponry
Middle Ages was extremely violent.
CHAIN MAIL ARMOR
Chain Mail armor provided protection against being cut by the opponents’ blade. It was effective against
the sharp points and blades of the spear, axe and sword.