Cradles of Early Science

Development of Science in Meso America

- consists of four culture namely: Olmec, Maya, Aztec, and Inca

- the manufacture of rubber ball in the ball game tlacht

- a game played by Meso-American civilizatons from earliest times

- among the plants originated in Meso-America are corn, papaya, avocado and
cocoa

-all Meso-American peoples shared the calendric and astronomical informaton of

the heavens as a critcal part of their sculpture, art and architecture

-The Mesoamerican contributon to the high civilizaton of the world was their
creation of the calendrical systems and sophistcated writng as a direct result of
their need to be in harmony with the celestal cycles

FOUR CULTURE OF MESO-AMERICAN CIVILIZATION

A.Mayan Civilization

- One of the famous that lasted for approximately 2,000 years

- Mayans believed that stars and constellatons, the planets and the moon were
living beings who interacted with the cycles, natural and social middle or
physical world

-Mayan architects built large, elaborate palaces and pyramid shaped temples for
astronomical observaton like Chicken Itza in Mexico

-The Mayans are known for using two complicated calendar systems (260-day
calendar and the 365-day calendar)

-They built hydraulics system and looms for weaving cloth and devised a rainbow
of glittery paint

- They are also believed to be the first people to produce rubber products

-Mayan knew how to make paper and had a pictorial script known as Mayan
Hieroglyphics which made them famous as one of the world's first civilizaton to
have a writng system
- Mayan Hieroglyphics - this allowed Maya to record all knowledge on long strips
of paper, which they folded harmonica-style into books

- Dresden Codex - one of the rescued Maya books, which is believed to be

produced in 10th century and contains predictons to be produced in 10th century
and contai ns predictons of solar eclipses for centuries and a table of predicted
positons of Venu s and bears testmony to the advanced knowledge of Mayan
civilizaton on Astronomy

- They also used advance numbering system that included the concept of zero
which is the greatest scientfic achievement of Maya

B.Aztec Civilization

-Mandatory Education

-Chocolates

-Antpasmodic medicaton

-Chinampa

-Aztec Calendar

- Inventon of the Canoe

C.Olmec civilization

-The mysterious Olmec civilizaton, located in ancient Mexico, prospered in Pre-

classical (Formatve) Mesoamerica from c. 1200 BCE to c. 400 BCE and is generally
considered the forerunner of all subsequent Mesoamerican cultures including
the Maya and Aztecs.

-Monumental sacred complexes

-Massive stone sculptures

-Ball games

-The drinking of chocolate

-Animal gods

D.Inca Civilization

-incas are famous for roads paved with stones

- Incan engineer designed the Temple of the Sun in Cuzco (the capital city) which
is a complex structure that was strong enough to survive centuries of
earthquakes and h ard weather

- They developed improved methods of terrace farming and irrigation system and
t echnique for storing water for their crops to grow in all types of land

- They also developed the calendar with 12 months to mark their religious
festivals and prepare

them for planting season

-They created the first suspension bridge • Incan scholars developed a record
keeping system that used colored, knotted string known as Quipu which might
have been used for accountng, keeping statstcs and t o record dates and events

- Incas are famous for roads paved with stones

-Incan engineer designed the Temple of the Sun in Cuzco (the capital city) which
is a complex structure that was strong enough to survive centuries of
earthquakes and hard weather

- They developed improved methods of terrace farming and irrigation system and
technique for storing water for their crops to grow in all types of land

- They also developed the calendar with 12 months to mark their religious
festvals a nd prepare them for planting season

- They created the first suspension bridge

- Incan scholars developed a record keeping system that used colored, knotted
stri ng known as Quipu which might have been used for accountng, keeping
statstcs and to record dates and events

- Inca textles since cloth was one of the specially prized artstc achievements

Development of Science in Asia

1. India

- They are known for iron and metallurgical works

- Ayurveda system - one of oldest system of medicine, based on the belief that hea
Ith and wellness depend on a delicate balance between the mind, body, and spirit
-Sushruta Samhita's most well-known contributon to plastc surgery is the
reconstr ucton of the nose, known also as rhinoplasty; also the use of cheek flaps
to reconstruct absent ear lobes, the use of wine as anesthesia, and the use of
leeches to keep wounds free of blood clots

-Ancient India is notable for developed theories on the configuraton of the

univers e, the spherical self-supporting Earth and the year of 360 days with 12
equal parts of 3O days each

- Siddhata Shiromani - covered topics such as mean of longitudes of the planets; ri

sings and settings; the moon's crescent; conjuncton of the planets with each
other; co njunctons of the planets with the fixed stars; and the paths of the Sun
and Moon (Sam

• Indus Valley Civilizaton tried to standardized measurement of length to a high

degree of

accuracy and designed a ruler, the Mohenjodaro (Bisht, 1982) • Aryabhata

introduced a number of trigonometric functons, tables and techniques as well as
algorithms of algebra (Clifford, 2008; Bose, 1998)

-Brahmahgupta suggested that gravity was a force of attracton; zero as a place hol
2008; Bose, 1 der and a decimal digit along with Hindu-Arabic numeral system
(Clifford,998)

- Madhama of Sangamagrama is also considered as the founder of Mathematical

Analysis (Joseph, 1991)

2. China

-Silk road, a great trade route linking China to other Roman Empire where it
allowed transport and exchange of goods in these regions

- Acupuncture, a family procedures involving stmulaton of points in the body

using a variety of techniques that has been most often studied scientfically
involves penetra tng the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are
manipulated by the hands or electrical stmulaton

-Famous discoveries and inventons include compass, papermaking, gunpowder

an d printing tools (Davies, 1995)

- Chinese civilizaton is also known for inventon of iron plough, wheelbarrow and
pro peller; design for different models of bridges (Zhongguo ke xue yuan, 1983)
-Invented the first seismological detector and developed a dry dock facility
(Needh am et. al, 1971)

- Chinese also made significant records on supernovas, lunar and solar eclipses
and comets which were carefully recorded and preserved to understand better
heavenly bodies and their effects to our world (Mayall, 1939)

Development of Science in Middle East

1. Muslims

-Muslims Scientsts put a greater value on science experiments rather than plain
th ought experiments which led to the development of the scientific method in
the Musli m world

- Ibn al-Haytham, is also regarded as the Father of Optcs (proofs on Intromission

Theory of Light)

-Muhammad Ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, gave his name to the concept of algorithm •
Ibn Sina, pioneered the science of experimental medicine and was the first
physician to conduct clinical trials (Jacquart, 2008). Among his many contributons
were the discovery of the contagious nature of infectous diseases and the
introducton of clinical pharmacology (Craig & Walter, 2000)

-o Book of Healing and The Canon of Medicine were two of the most notable
books of Ibn Sina, these books were used as standard Medicinal texts

Development of Science in Africa

1. Egyptian

- Rules of geometry were developed to preserve layout and ownership of

Farmlands along Nile River and build rectlinear structures, the post of lintel
architecture of Egypt

- Egyptan pyramids and early dams built to divert water from Nile River

- Egypt is known to be the Center of Alchemy

- Ancient Egyptans are good in the four fundamental mathematcal operatons and
o ther mathematcal skills

2. African
-Used three types of calendars: lunar, solar and stellar or a combinaton of the
three

- Metallurgy was also known in the African Regions • Lebombo Bone - oldest
known mathematcal artfact which may have been a tool for multiplicaton,
division and simple mathematcal computaton