Cradles of Early Science

Development of Science in Asia

1. India
They are known for iron and metallurgical works
Hundreds of other beautiful sculptures and icons in bronze and copper, belonging to periods earlier than
2000 BCE, bear testimony to the technological excellence and consummate skill of early Indians in
producing and shaping metals.

Indian heritage in Gold, Silver, Bronze, Copper, Zinc and Iron and Steel is a celebrated one.
Smelting of metals and derivation of alloys was done since 3000 BCE in ancient India. In the exchanges
of goods between India, Egypt and Rome, metal trade from India was significant. Indian tools made from
iron and steel were in great demand for war as well as agriculture.
Records show that the first supplies of the weapons that figure in the earliest recorded history of
the people of the Mediterranean came from India. Literary accounts suggest that steel from the southern
part of the Indian subcontinent was exported to Europe, China, and countries of the Middle East.
Source: Copyright © 2021 Shrivedant Foundation (www.shrivedant.com). All Rights Reserved.

Ayurveda system – one of oldest system of medicine, based on the belief that health and wellness
depend on a delicate balance between the mind, body, and spirit.
Ayurveda, a natural system of medicine, originated in India more than 3,000 years ago. The term
Ayurveda is derived from the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (science or knowledge). Thus,
Ayurveda translates to knowledge of life. Based on the idea that disease is due to an imbalance or stress
in a person's consciousness, Ayurveda encourages certain lifestyle interventions and natural therapies to
regain a balance between the body, mind, spirit, and the environment.
Ayurveda is considered a form of medical care, equal to conventional Western medicine,
traditional Chinese medicine, naturopathic medicine, and homeopathic medicine.

Sushruta Samhita, The Father of surgery.

His most well-known contribution to plastic surgery is the reconstruction 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.
Sushruta is the father of surgery. If the history of science is traced back to its origin, it probably starts
from an unmarked era of ancient time. Although the science of medicine and surgery has advanced by
leaps and bounds today, many techniques practiced today have still been derived from the practices of the
ancient Indian scholars.

His works are compiled as Sushrutaa Samhita. He describes 60 types of upakarma method for treatment
of wounds, 120 surgical instruments and 300 surgical procedures, and classification of human surgeries in
eight categories.

Resources: Selin H. Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western
Cultures.
Saraf S, Parihar R. Sushrutaa – The first plastic surgeon in 600 BC. Int J Plast Surg. 2006;4:2.

Ancient India is notable for developed theories on the configuration of the universe, the spherical self-
supporting. Earth and the year of 360 days with 12 equal parts of 30 days each.
 Astronomy in India, as it was in other ancient civilizations, was interwoven with religion. While
the different facets of nature, the shining of the sun, the waxing and waning of the moon, and the
alternation of the seasons all excited curiosity and evoked wonder, religious practices conformed to
astronomical timings following the seasons, equinoxes, solstices, new and full moons, specific times of
the day and the like.

Resources: Sarma K.V. (2008) Astronomy in India. In: Selin H. (eds) Encyclopaedia of the History of
Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures. Springer, Dordrecht.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4425-0_9554

Siddhata Shiromani – covered topics such as mean of longitudes of the planets; risings and settings; the
moon’s crescent; conjunction of the planets with each other; conjunctions of the planets with the fixed
stars; and the paths of the Sun and Moon (Sama, 2008)
Indus Valley Civilization 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 functions, tables and techniques as well as algorithms
of
algebra (Clifford, 2008; Bose, 1998)
Brahmahgupta suggested that gravity was a force of attraction; zero as a place holder and a decimal digit
along
with Hindu-Arabic numeral system (Clifford, 2008; Bose, 1998)
Madhava of Sangamagrama is also considered as the founder of Mathematical Analysis (Joseph, 1991

China
The Silk Road was an ancient trade route that linked the Western world with the Middle East and Asia. It
was a major conduit for trade between the Roman Empire and China and later between medieval
European kingdoms and China.

Acupuncture,
an ancient system of healing used to restore and maintain health and well-being. It has been practiced and
refined in China and other Eastern countries. Having a continuous clinical history of at least 2,500 years
(it’s earliest roots stem back approximately 5000 years)
uses very thin steel needles inserted into the skin to stimulate specific points in the body. The goal is to
relieve a health condition or symptom, such as pain.

Famous discoveries and inventions include compass, papermaking, gunpowder and printing tools
(Davies,
1995)
Chinese civilization is also known for invention of iron plough, wheelbarrow and propeller; design for
different models of bridges (Zhongguo ke xue yuan, 1983)
Invented the first seismological detector and developed a dry dock facility (Needham 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. Arabs
Arabic contribution to science is monumentally significant. The rise of Islamic science had its acme
between the 8th to 16th centuries, in a period nominally known as the Islamic Golden Age.
Arabic scientific inquiry flourished into major discoveries in the fields of mathematics, physics,
astronomy, chemistry, medicine and optics. Arab scientists of the 12th century conducted experiments in
their pursuit of scientific inquiry. Using intuition, they made and tested hypotheses, and sought proof to
verify their theories. Such experiments were systematic, repeatable, and yielded quantitative
measurements
Ibn al-Haytham,
Ibn al-Haytham (965-1039) is one of the most notable scientists of the Islamic Golden Age. Known in the
West by his Latinized name as Alhazen, he was born in Basra, Iraq. Regarded as the Father of Optics
(proofs on Intromission Theory of Light). He is called the founder of optics because he first discovered
the laws of refraction. Among his inventions are the camera obscura and pinhole camera.
The 13th century Persian astronomer Nasir al-Din alTusi of Bagdad is famous for creating a more
accurate, earth-centered or geocentrism planetary model after finding flaws with Ptolemy’s model of
planetary motion. Later on, Copernicus drew generously from al-Tusi’s model when theorizing that the
Earth revolves around the sun or the concept of heliocentrism.
Sources: Covington, Richard. “Rediscovering Arabic Science.” Saudi Aramco World May/June 2007: 2-
16.
Muhammad Ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, was a Persian mathematician, astronomer, astrologer geographer
and a scholar in the House of Wisdom in Baghdad. His contributions include, development of the concept
of algorithm in mathematics (which is a reason for his being called the grandfather of computer science
by some people)
Source: https://www.famousscientists.org/muhammad-ibn-musa-al-khwarizmi/
Ibn Sina, pioneered the science of experimental medicine and was the first physician to conduct clinical
trials
(Jacquart, 2008). Among his many contributions were the discovery of the contagious nature of infectious
diseases and the introduction of clinical pharmacology (Craig & Walter, 2000)Book of Healing and The
Canon of Medicine were two of the most notable books of Ibn Sina, books were used as standard
Medicinal texts
Among some of the technological inventions attributed to Arab scientists and engineers are the parachute,
hang-glider, eye glasses, artificial wings, soft drinks, fine glass, modern soap, shampoo, kerosene,
mechanical clocks, and programmable humanoid robots. Some of these inventions are attributed to Al-
Jazari (1136-1206), a prolific inventor and mechanical engineer during the Islamic Golden Age.
Src: Huff, Toby E. The Rise of Early Modern Science. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press,
2003. Robinson, Francis (editor) The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Islamic World. Cambridge,
U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Development of Science in Africa
1. Egyptian

Math

mathematics first were developed in Africa, as was the first method of counting. More than
35,000 years ago, Egyptians scripted textbooks about math that included division and
multiplication of fractions and geometric formulas to calculate the area and volume of shapes,
Distances and angles were calculated, algebraic equations were solved and mathematically based
predictions were made of the size of floods of the Nile river.

Astronomy
ancient African cultures birthed discoveries in astronomy. Egyptians charted the movement of
the sun and constellations and the cycles of the moon. They divided the year into 12 parts and
developed a yearlong calendar system containing 365 ¼ days.

rectilinear structures, the post of lintel architecture of Egypt

Egyptian pyramids and early dams built to divert water from Nile River
Egypt is known to be the Center of Alchemy

2. African
Medicine
Many treatments we use today were employed by several ancient peoples throughout Africa. Africans
discovered ouabain, capsicum, physostigmine and reserpine. Medical procedures performed in ancient
Africa before they were performed in Europe include vaccination, autopsy, limb traction and broken bone
setting, bullet removal, brain surgery, skin grafting, filling of dental cavities, installation of false teeth,
what is now known as Caesarean section, anesthesia and tissue cauterization

Used three types of calendars: lunar, solar and stellar or a combination of the three
Metallurgy and tools
Many advances in metallurgy and tool making were made across the entirety of ancient Africa. These
include steam engines, metal chisels and saws, copper and iron tools and weapons, nails, glue, carbon
steel and bronze weapons and art

Lebombo Bone –the oldest known mathematical artifact in the world. Discovered in the 1970s in Border
Cave, a rock shelter on the western scarp of the Lebombo Mountains, a tool for multiplication, division
and simple mathematical computation
src:© Dr. Y. and www.afrolegends.com, [2009-2022]