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NAME OF THE Bachelor of Science in Psychology

PROGRAM
COURSE TITLE Science, Technology and COURSE CODE SCIE 101
Society
PREREQUISITE/ CO- None COURSE UNIT 3 units
REQUISITE
COURSE OUTCOME Explain the interactions between science and technology and
society throughout history
MODULE 1 General Concepts and Science, Technology and Society
Historical Developments
LESSON LEARNING After successful completion of this module, students should be
OUTCOME/S able to:
a. Create visual representations showing scientific and
technological innovations made by early civilizations to
make their daily activities easier.
TOPICS Sumerian, Babylonian, and Egyptian Civilization
WEEK / INCLUSIVE 2
DATE August 22 - 26, 2022
MODALITY Synchronous and Asynchronous (MS Teams)

 LESSON PROPER

Introduction
Science may be defined as the system of knowledge of the natural world gained through
the scientific method. It was originally called “philosophy of the natural world” since it stemmed
from the ancient Greeks’ desire to know about nature. Thus, the first scientists were called
“philosophers of nature.” They sought to discover the truth behind materials and natural things.
It was the task of the philosophers of nature to observe the world and beyond, and to discover
what makes materials the same and what makes them different.
In their quest for understanding the natural world, the ability to name and classify the
objects found in nature was seen as the first step towards knowledge. Thus, the scientific
search for truth early on recognized the usefulness of language and the ability it gave to
describe, classify, and explain the different objects of study.
Meanwhile, the term technology comes from Greek words “tekhne” meaning “art or craft”
and – logia, meaning a “subject or interest.” Taken together, the term has come to mean
“practical applications of what we know about nature” using scientific principles for the
betterment of the human situation.
Science and technology indeed play major roles in the everyday life. They make difficult
and complicated tasks easier and allow people to do more with so little effort and time. The
developments in this field are not just products of people’s imagination or a one-time thought
process; they are also brought about by gradual improvements to earlier works from different
time periods. The driving force behind this continuous progress is the desire to raise the quality
of life of the people.
In the ancient times, people were concerned with transportation and navigation,
communication and record-keeping, mass production, security and protection, as well as health,
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aesthetics, and architecture (McNamara, Valverde and Beleno (2018). Science, Technology and
Society).

The Ancient Times

About 5,000 years ago, civilization began in four great river valleys, in Africa and Asia.
The earliest civilizations were in 40 and Egypt. People in those lands built cities, developed
organized religion and government and learned specialized skills and jobs. Most important, in
terms of history, they began to write and keep records. Other peoples of the ancient Near East
made important new contributions in government, religion, and science and technology (Perry
(1989). A History of the World).

Civilization Begins in Mesopotamia

The earliest of the river valley civilizations developed in Mesopotamia, the region
between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. The Greeks gave this land the name
Mesopotamia, which means “between rivers.” Today it is the country of Iraq. Mesopotamia was
part of the Fertile Crescent, a great arc of fertile land stretching from the Persian Gulf to the
eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea (Perry (1989). A History of the World).
Table 1. Sumerian Civilization Contributions in the Development of Science and Technology
Contribution Illustration
Cuneiform
 One of the major contributions of the Sumerians is the
development of the first writing system.
 It is a system that utilizes word pictures and triangular
symbols which are carved on clay using wedge instruments
and then left to dry.
 It allowed the Sumerians to keep records of things with great
historical value or their everyday life.
Fig. 1.bp.blogspot.com

The Great Ziggurat of Ur

 It is an engineering and architectural feat of the Sumerians.
 It is also called the “mountain of god”.
 This structure was constructed using sun-baked bricks.
 It served as the sacred place of their chief god, where only
their priests were allowed to enter.
 This structure showcases the remarkable technology used to
build it.
 Even until today, people still enjoy and marvel at the
preserved Great Ziggurat of Ur. Fig. 2. www.google.com.ph

Irrigation and Dikes

 The Sumerian created dikes and irrigation canals to bring
water to farmlands and at the same time control the flooding
of the rivers.
 This method was considered as one of the world’s most
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beneficial engineering works.

 Through the dikes and canals, the Sumerians were able to
enjoy year-long farming and harvesting, which increased
their food production.

Fig. 3. www.google.com.ph

Sailboats
 At that time, the wheel was not yet invented; the main mode
of transportation was through waterways such as rivers and
seas.
 Boats were used to carry large quantities of products and
were able to cover large distances.
 Some sources attribute to the Sumerians the invention of
sailboats to address their increasing demands.
 Sailboats were essential in transportation and trading as well
as in fostering culture, information and technology.
Fig. 4. www.google.com.ph

Wheel
 In the latter part of the Sumerians’ history, they were able to
invent the wheel since the specialized tools needed to create
it were already available.
 The first wheels were not made for transportation but for farm
work and food processes.
 With the use of wheel and axle, mass production was made
easier.
 Farmers were able to mill grains with less effort in less time Fig. 5. www.google.com.ph

The Plow
 Another farm technology invented by the Mesopotamians is
the plow. Humans evolved from being food gatherers to farm
cultivators.
 The plow was invented to dig the earth in a faster pace.
 With this tool, farmers could cultivate larger parcels of land
faster, enabling them to mass produce food without taking so
much effort and time.
Fig. 6. www.google.com.ph

Roads
 In order to facilitate faster and easier travel, the Sumerians
developed the first roads.
 They made the roads with the same technology they used in
making sun-baked bricks that they laid down on the ground.
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 They later poured bitumen, a black sticky substance similar

to asphalt, to smoothen the roads.
 This invention was very useful especially during the rainy
season.

Fig. 7. www.google.com.ph

Babylonian Civilization
Babylonian civilization emerged near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. It is located about
60 miles (100 kilometers) south of Baghdad in modern-day Iraq, the ancient city of Babylon
served for nearly two millennia as center of Mesopotamian civilization. The Babylonians were
great builders, engineers and architects. One of the great accomplishments, if the ancient
stories are true, is the construction of the Hanging Gardens, a wonder of the ancient world,
which some believe was built by the biblical king Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife Queen Amytis.

Fig. 8. www.google.com.ph
The ancient scientists who lived in the city made important discoveries in mathematics,
physics and astronomy. Among their many accomplishments, they developed trigonometry,
used mathematical models to track the planet Jupiter and developed methods of tracking time
that are still used today. Ancient Babylonian records are still used by modern-day astronomers
to study how the rotation of the Earth has changed (www.livescience.com).
Michael Seymour, a research associate at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, writes in his
book “Legend, History and the Ancient City of Babylon” (I.B. Tauris, 2014) that an irrigation
system that distributed from the Euphrates and Tigris rivers had to be used to grow crops. Once
established, however, such a system could reap the benefit of rich alluvial soils and support
extremely productive agriculture on the levees of canals.
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Fig. 9. www.google.com.ph Fig. 10. www.google.com.ph

Hanging Garden of Babylon Tower of Babel

INTRODUCTION
Ancient Egypt is a land of mysteries. No other civilization has so captured the
imagination of scholars and laypeople alike. Mystery surrounds its origins, its religion and its
monumental architecture: colossal temples, pyramids and the enormous Sphinx. The Egyptian
pyramids are the most famous of all the ancient monuments, the only remaining wonder of the
seven wonders of the ancient worlds.

While much of the world was living in primitive conditions, the ancient Egyptians were
inventing writing and advancing the sciences of mathematics, medicine and astronomy. They
developed ways to measure time and distances, and applied their knowledge to monumental
architecture.

Today, Egyptian archaeologists are still making important discoveries, and the scientific
study of royal mummies is shedding new light on the genealogy of the pharaohs. The ongoing
deciphering of hieroglyphics writings and research on the life of the peasants are also
answering many questions related to the evolution of the Egyptian culture. The pharaonic
religion gives the impression that the Egyptians were preoccupied with death; however there are
ample indications that they were a happy lot who knew how to enjoy life.

Egyptian Civilization
Another early civilization famous for its legacy is the Egyptian civilization located in North
Africa. Many stories tell about the engineering feats of the Egyptians especially regarding the
infrastructures established by the pharaohs. Aside from engineering technology, the Egyptians
have contributed other practical things that the world now considers as essential. It is thus safe
to say that the pyramids are not the only contributions of the Egyptian civilization to the modern
world.
Table 1. Egyptian Civilization Contributions in the Development of Science and Technology
Contribution Illustration
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Handheld Mirror
 The simple handheld mirror one finds so
commonplace in the present day was created by
the Egyptians.
 These were often decorated with inscriptions
and figures, such as that of the protector-
god Bes, and were owned by men
and women alike.
 More ornate wall mirrors were also a part of
middle- and upper-class homes and were
likewise decorated.
 The ancient Egyptians were very aware of their
self-image and personal hygiene and
appearance was an important value. Fig. 1. The Trustees of the British Museum

Toothpaste
 Toothpaste was made of rock salt, mint, dried
iris petals, and pepper, according to one recipe
from the 4th century CE, which dentists in 2003
CE tried and found to be quite effective
(although it made their gums bleed).
 Another earlier recipe suggested ground-up ox
hooves and ash, which, mixed with one's saliva,
created a cleansing paste for the teeth.
 This recipe, lacking the mint, did nothing for
Fig. 2. www.google.com.ph
one's breath and so tablets were created from
spices like cinnamon and frankincense heated
in a honey mixture, which became the world's
first breath mints.
Toothbrushes
 Toothbrushes and toothpaste were invented
because of the grit and sand which found its
way into the bread and vegetables of the daily
meals.
 The image presented in the modern day by art
and movies of Egyptians with exceptionally
white teeth is misleading; dental problems were
common in ancient Egypt, and few, if any, had
an all-white smile.
 Dentistry developed to deal with these
difficulties but never seems to have advanced at
the same rate as other areas of medicine. While
it appears doctors were fairly successful in their
techniques, dentists were less so.
 To cite only one example, the
Fig. 3. www.google.com.ph
queen Hatshepsut (1479-1458 BCE) actually
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died from an abscess following a tooth

extraction.
Paper or Papyrus
 One of the earlier contributions of the Egyptian
civilization was the paper or papyrus.
 Papyrus was a plant that grow abundantly along
the Nile River.
 The invention of paper was a major
accomplishment in Egyptian record-keeping and
communications.
 People then were able to send letters or
correspondences anywhere in the world.
 Documents would not take huge storage
spaces.
Fig. 4. www.google.com.ph
 It was easier to keep them away from raiders
who often destroyed records of the nations they
invaded.
Ox-drawn plow
 Among the many inventions or innovations of
the ancient Egyptians was the ox-drawn plow
and improvements in irrigation.
 The ox-drawn plow was designed in two
gauges: heavy and light. The heavy plow went
first and cut the furrows while the lighter plow
came behind turning up the earth.
 Once the field was plowed then workers with
hoes broke up the clumps of soil and sowed the
rows with seed. To press the seed into the
furrows, livestock was driven across the
field and the furrows were closed. Fig. 5. The Trustees of the British Museum

Irrigation
 Egyptian irrigation techniques were so effective
they were implemented by the cultures
of Greece and Rome.
 New irrigation techniques were introduced
during the Second Intermediate Period by the
people known as the Hyksos, who settled in
Avaris in Lower Egypt, and the Egyptians
improved upon them; notably through the
expanded use of the canal.
 The yearly inundation of the Nile overflowing its
banks and depositing rich soil throughout the
valley was essential to Egyptian life but irrigation
canals were necessary to carry water to outlying
Fig. 6. www.google.com.ph
farms and villages as well as to maintain even
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saturation of crops near the river.

Ink
 The Egyptians invented the ink by combining
soot with different chemicals to produce inks of
different colors.
 The ink must withstand the elements of nature
since it was used to record history, culture and
codified laws.
 It must also be tamper-proof so that people
could not simply tinker with those written down
by authorities.
Fig. 7. www.google.com.ph

Hieroglyphics
 Like the Sumerians, the Egyptians also
developed a system of writing using symbols,
the hieroglyphics.
 The Egyptians believed that this writing system
was provided to them by their gods.
 This form of writing can still be seen today and
was the language that tells the modern world of
the history and culture of the ancient Egyptians. Fig. 8. www.google.com.ph

Cosmetics
 Cosmetics in the ancient Egypt was used for
both health and aesthetic reasons.
 Egyptians wore Kohl around the eyes to prevent
and even cure eye diseases. Kohl was created
by mixing soot or malachite with mineral galena.
 Egyptians also believed that a person wearing
make-up was protected from evil and that
beauty was a sign of holiness.
Fig. 9. www.google.com.ph

Wig
 During the ancient Egyptian times, wigs were
worn for health and wellness rather than for
aesthetic purposes.
 The wigs were used to protect the shaved
heads of the wealthy Egyptians from the harmful
rays of the sun.
 It was considered cleaner than natural hair
because it prevented the accumulation of head
lice. Fig. 10. www.google.com.ph
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Water Clock or Clepsydra

 This device utilizes gravity that affects the flow
of water from one vessel to the other.
 The amount of water remaining in the device
determines how much time has elapsed since it
is full. In the process, time is measured.
 The water clock was widely used as a
timekeeping device during the ancient times. Fig. 11. www.google.com.ph

Pyramids
 Pharaohs of the Old Kingdom has immense
pyramids built to serve as their tombs.
 These demanded not only the greatest skills of
Egypt’s architects and engineers but also the
labor of thousands of workers.

Fig. 12. www.google.com.ph

Obelisks
 The creation of an obelisk, for example, seems
to have always involved the exact same
procedure performed in precisely the same way.
 The quarrying and transport of obelisks are well
documented (though how the immense
monuments were raised is not) and shows a
strict adherence to a standard procedure. Fig. 13.by Dennis Jarvis (CC BY-SA)

Embalming (Mummification)
 The bodies of people who had died were
carefully preserved before their burial.
Chemicals were used to dry out or mummify the
body.
 The mummy was then painted, wrapped in fine
linen, and adorned with jewelry.
 Egyptian embalmers were so skillful that
modern archaeologists have found mummies
that still have hair, skin and teeth after
thousands of years of burial. Fig. 14. www.google.com.ph

Medicine
 Medicine in ancient Egypt was intimately tied to
magic. The three best-known works dealing with
medical issues. of medical knowledge.
 The Ebers Papyrus is a text of 110 pages
treating ailments such as trauma, cancer, heart
disease, depression, dermatology,
gastrointestinal distress, and many others.
 The Edwin Smith Papyrus is the oldest known
work on surgical techniques and is thought to
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have been written for triage surgeons in field

hospitals. This work shows detailed knowledge
of anatomy and physiology.
 The London Medical Papyrus combines
practical medical skill with magical spells for the
treatment of conditions ranging from eye
problems to miscarriages.

Fig. 15. The Trustees of the British Museum

Dentistry

 Based on the evidence of mummies who have

been examined, as well as letters and other
documents, ancient Egyptians seem to have
experienced fairly severe and widespread dental
problems.

 Dentistry does not seem to have evolved at the Fig. 16. www.google.com.ph
same pace as other branches of medicine but
still was more advanced and showed a greater
knowledge of dealing with oral pain than later
remedies practiced by other cultures.

 The first known dental procedure dates to

14,000 years ago in Italy, according to evidence
published in 2015 CE, but the first dentist in the
world known by name was the Egyptian Hesyre
(c. 2660 BCE) who held the position of Chief of
Dentists and Physician to the King during the
reign of Djoser (c. 2670 BCE) showing that
dentistry was considered an important practice
as early as Djoser's reign and probably earlier.

 This being so, it is unclear why dental practices

did not evolve to the same degree as other
medical fields.
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 ACTIVITY/ EXERCISE/ ASSIGNMENT

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Activity #1 in
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY (STS)

Venn Diagram of Sumerian and Babylonian Civilization’s Contributions

in the Development of Science and Technology

Name: ______________________________________ Score: _____________

Schedule: _____________________________________ Date: ______________

Direction: Based on what you have learned from the first synchronous session, construct a
Venn diagram that will show the similarities and differences of the contribution of the Sumerian
and Babylonian civilization in the development of science and technology (refer to lesson ppt).

Rubric Scale for the Venn Diagram Total Points:

15
1 – 2 points 3 – 4 pts 5 pts

Similarities The identified character The student highlights 2 The identified character traits
traits provided is only 1. character traits and does not are 3 or more and do not repeat.
repeat. They include well describe They include well describe examples.
examples.
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Differences The identified character The student highlights 3 to 4 The identified character traits
traits provided are 2 or less. character traits and does not are 5 or more and do not repeat.
repeat. They include well describe They include well describe examples.
examples.
Organizatio The Venn Diagram is very The Venn Diagram is legible The Venn Diagram is very neat
n sloppy and unreadable. and organized. and well-organized.

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Activity #2 in
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY (STS)

Name: ______________________________________ Score: _____________

Schedule: _____________________________________ Date: ______________

Direction: Based on the module that you have read (refer to asynchronous module 1), create
your own concept map that shows the Egyptian civilization’s contribution to science and
technology. Use arrow(s) and phrases to show connection of one contribution to the others.

Note: Use all (16) the contributions found in the asynchronous module 1 in creating the concept
map.

Rubric Scale for Concept Mapping Total Points: 30

1 – 4 points
Organization Disorganized
Sloppy and confusing
Contains very few concepts
Key words and ideas are
missing
Content and concepts Shows no or very little
understanding of the topic’s
concept
Appropriate terminologies are
not followed
Concepts are presented with
little detail
5 – 8 points
Somewhat organized
Many key words and
concepts are covered
but somewhat organized
Shows basic understanding
of the concept
Makes some mistakes in
terminologies with a few
misconceptions
9 – 10 points
Well organized
Logical and coherent
All key concepts and ideas
are well organized
Shows a thorough
understanding of the topic’s
concepts
Uses appropriate
terminology and notations
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Relationship among Does not use arrows and
concepts phrases to show connection
Connections are not clear
and do not promote clarity
Most of the connections are
incorrect
Connections are somewhat
clear and convey some
meaning
Only some connections are
incorrect
Connections indicate
superior organization and
understanding and enhance
meaning
Connections are clear and
logical.
They connect concepts to
promote clarity and convey
meaning.

 SUPPLEMENTARY LEARNING MATERIALS

Watch:
 Video titled “Best Inventions and Innovations from Ancient Egypt!“ in this link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAHPDPwv0Go&feature=share
 Watch the video titled “Egyptian Science (+Mesopotamia)“ in this link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTcwkltTFVw&feature=share

Read: Module 1 Egyptian Civilization

As you read this module, look out for the following points:
 Egyptian civilization’s contributions in the development of science and technology
 Importance of each scientific discovery and technology in their society.

 REFERENCES

Brier, B & Hobbs, H. (2013). Ancient Egypt: Everyday Life in the Land of the Nile. Sterling
Bunson, M.(1991). The Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt. Gramercy Books.
David, R. (2007). Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt Revised. Oxford University Press
James, G. (2014). Stolen Legacy: The Egyptian Origins of Western Philosophy. CreateSpace
Independent Publishing Platform
Lewis, J. E. (2003). The Mammoth Book of Eyewitness Ancient Egypt. Running Press
McNamara, SJ, D.J.(2018). Science, technology and society. Quezon City:
C&E Publishing, Inc.
Perry, M. (1989). A history of the world. Houghton Mifflin Company. USA
Shaw, I. (2016). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford
Wilkinson, R. H. (2000). The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson