Historical Antecedents in the

Course of Science and

Technology
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this chapter, you are able to:
1. Explain how science and technology affected the society and
environment and vice versa;
2. Identify inventions and discoveries that changed the world over the
course of history; and
3. Discuss the scientific and technological developments in the
Philippines.
• Science and Technology Indeed play a major roles in the everyday life.
• The development in these 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.

• Question
What is the driving force behind this continuous progress?
Ancient Times
In the ancient times, people were concerned with transportation and navigation,
communication and record-keeping, mass production, security and protection, as
well as health, aesthetics and architecture.

Transportation- to go places and discover new horizons, search for food and find
better locations for their settlements, trade surplus goods in exchange for things
they lacked.
Navigation assisted them in journeys to unfamiliar and strange areas in the world,
Communication- essential to discover and occupy new places.
Record keeping- is also important to remember the places they had been to and
to documents the trade they made with each other.
Also vital to keep records of their history and culture so they could
establish their identities.

Weapons and armors- were important as well in the discovery of new

places or the establishments of new alliances with other tribes. There
was always a risk of conflict when people met others with different
cultures and orientations.

Why are conflicts more common during the ancient times?

A primary challenged they faced was the conservation of life. Different
illness and diseases both natural and man made, hampered the full
potential of a human being. Science and technology played a major role
in the discovery of cures to, if not the prevention of illnesses.
Engineering- for better transportation, establishments of structures for
protection from human attacks and natural disasters, and construction
of bigger and stronger infrastructures.Some of the structures build
during the ancient times still exist today and continually awe people.
Architechture-the development in engineering also ushered in the
introduction of architecture.During the ancient times, elaborate
architectural designs were signs of technological advancement of
particular civilization.Architecture would be considered a status symbol
among nations of how advance their technology is.it may also establish
the identity of a nation.
Sumerian Civilization
Sumeria-southernmost tip of ancient Mesopotamia
Major contributions
Development of the first writing system known as cuneiform

What is the advantage of having a writing system?

Uruk City- the first true city in the world
-made of mud/clay and mix w/ reeds – sun-baked bricks- a true engineering feat
The Great Ziggurat of Ur- mountain of god
-sacred place of their chief god, where only their priests were
allowed to enter
Irrigation and dikes – to bring water to farmlands and control the flooding of the rivers.
-most beneficial engineering works
-Summerians enjoy year-long farming & harvesting – increased
of food production
Sailboats-used to carry large quantities of
products
Wheel for farm work & food processes
Farmers were able to mill grains w/ less effort in less time
The Plow : Farmers could cultivate larger parcels of land
faster-enable them to have mass production in food
Roads
• The flow of traffic became faster and more organized
• They used bitumen, a black sticky substance similar to asphalt, to
smoothen the roads
Babylonian Civilization
• Emerged near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
• Babylonians were great builders, engineers and architects.
• One of the major contribution is the Hanging Garden of Babylon-one
of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Excellent at math using
sexagesimal(base 60) system used
algebra but poor in geometry
AStronomy-Moon oriented
especially about eclipses
Medicine & Surgery
Egyptian civilization Excellent at geometry but poor in
arithmetic and math could not do fractional computing
Able to make writing easier for the world. Papyrus-
a plant that grow along Nile river in Egypt.
 Ink
When Egyptians invented papyrus, engraving ceased to be used in writing.
As a result, Egyptians invented ink by combining soot with different
chemicals to produce inks of different colors. 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 those by authorities.
Hieroglyphics

• a character used in a system of

pictorial writing, particularly that
form used on ancient Egyptian
monuments. Hieroglyphic
symbols may represent the
objects that they depict but
usually stand for particular
sounds or groups of sounds.
Cosmetics
• Function for both health and aesthetic reasons.
• Egyptians wore Kohl around the eyes to prevent and cure eye
diseases.
• Kohl was created by mixing soot or malachite with mineral galena.
• Person wearing make up was protected from evil and that beauty was
a sign of holiness
Wig used to enhance the appearance of people who
are balding or those who want to try new hair trends

Ancient time: wigs were worn for

health and wellness rather than
for aesthetic purposes.
- To protect the shaved heads of
the wealthy Egyptians from the
harmful rays of the sun.
Water Clock/Clepsydra- time keeping 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. Time is measured
Greek Civilization
Greece is an archipelago in the southeastern part of Europe and known
as the birthplace of western philosophy.
More than coliseum and Olympics, Greek civilization has contributed
much in the world especially in the fields of science and technology.
Alarm Clock -illustration of Plato’s alarm clock
Water Mill
• Commonly used in agricultural processes like milling of grains which
was necessary form of food processing
• Because milling was made possible by the use of watermills , the mass
production of rice, cereals flours and the like become common
Roman Civilization
The Roman Empire was perceived
to be the strongest political and
social entity in the west.
Considered to be the cradle of
politics and governance during
that period
Newspaper
-one of the major contributions of the Romans is the newspaper. The
first newspaper , known as gazettes contained announcements of the
Roman empire to the people.
Bound books or Codex
With the invention of paper, it became easier for the civilization to
write down everything that happened in their time
Roman Architecture
Roman architecture is one of the most visual contributions of the
ancient Roman empire to the world.
Roman Numerals
Chinese Civilization
The Chinese civilization is considered to be the oldest civilization in
Asia, if not the world. It was famous among other ancient civilization
because of it silk trade
Contributions
1. Silk
2. Tea Production
3. Great Wall of China
4. Gunpowder
Medieval/Middle Ages
Printing Press
Microscope
Telescope
War weapons
 Modern Times
• Pasteurization
• Petroleum refinery
• Telephone
• Calculator
Philippine Inventions
Salamander Amphibious Tricycle
SALt lamp- Sustainable Alternative Lighting
Lamp
Medical Incubator-
Mosquito Ovicidal/ Larvicidal Trap System
E-Jeepney
Medical Incubator Mosquito ovicidal