LESSON 2-HISTORICAL ANTECEDENTS WHERE SOCIAL CONSIDERATION

CHANGED THE COURSE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

I. Module Overview
In order to understand past, one has look back and revisit it. This module will allow you to time
travel through the antecedents of science and technology; lets you investigate how the present
status of science and technology came into being, and explore the major turns in the course of
global and national history that led it to its exhilarating and captivating development.
II. Desired Learning Outcome

At the end of this topic, the students should be able to:

1. Discuss the interactions between Science and Technology and Society throughout history;
2. Trace historical development of Science and Technology in the World: Ancient, Middle and
Modern Ages and in the Philippines; and
3. Identify inventions and discoveries that changed the world over the course of history.

III. Take off/Motivation

The instructor/professor will use timeline infographics for visualizing and giving an overview
of the history of technology that happened from ancient times to modern times.

https://image.slidesharecdn.com/prehistorypwp

Source: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/146507794100439642

IV.Content focus

Interactions between Science and Technology and Society throughout history

Science and technology are the best thing society could ask for. Since the industrial revolution
in the 18th century science has been in progress. Some sectors that have been boosted by science and
technology are energy, physical sciences, information and communication. The society has greatly
gained with the invention of technology.
Infrastructure in the society has grown with the help of science and technology. Modes of
transport like electronic railway lines were realized and these actually benefited the society by
offering them a better means of transport. In the past, almost everything was analog but thanks to the
science and technology we are now being digitized by the day. The invention of the telephone and
radio services has broadened human communication.
Without society then there would be no science and technology and that is why the invention
of certain tools and equipment have helped achieve big things. Society cannot do without the industries
we have today. The society needs science and technology. The creation of computers is work of art by
individuals was a milestone that would come a long way in helping the society. A computer helps us to
leverage ourselves by gaining valuable information that we can use to enrich our lives. The impact of
science and technology can seriously be recognized. Many people around the world take for example
scholars in colleges and universities have taken the lead examining the relationship between science
and technology.
The evaluation of this relationship has emerged as an important area of research. Public
interest groups and academic organizations throughout the world are recognizing the importance of
STS. The reason is that people need to recognize that there are people who are affected by the
science and technology. Controversies such as modified foods, stem cell research are the issues that
have brought policy makers and scientists together to have a way forward on this.
Science and technology has actually largely contributed to the vision of man about himself.
Science has been modified the opinion about the origin of man and place of origin too. Through the
results of scientific discoveries, the perception of man about his behavior and his place of origin has
been modified diversely. Experiments in science today are in one way or another affecting the society.
Take for example the experiment on cloning a human being. The experiment brought a lot of
controversy since the society was skeptical about it.
How is science and technology related to society: The developing world has a long tradition
of participatory action research, popular education and community organization joining up to solve
some science and technology issues that affect the society. How is science and technology related to
the society is something that is calling even for the government intervention. Science and technology
related issues are actually been discussed worldwide today. Progress in this has resulted to the ability
to produce diverse types of material items. Answering the question how science and technology is
related to society.

Historical development of science and Technology in the World:

Antecedents- is define as a precursor to the unfolding or existence of something.

Antecedents of science and technology are factors that paved way for the presence of advanced
and sophisticated scientific and technological innovations today.
We can use the historical developments of science and technology to come up with proper decisions
and applications of scientific and technological to daily life.
PREHISTORY
Prehistory is the oldest and longest period of human history. It began more than one million
years ago with the origins of the human race to the invention of writing around the year 3500 B.C.
Refer to the time the world did not invent writing yet, thus, there were no records yet. It could
mean the beginning of the universe although historians more popularly refer to the three ages of
early humans.
This long period can be divided into 3 stages:
1. PALEOLITHIC AGE
 Source: https://www.tes.com/lessons/-
nUv8US 4fxA6w/paleolithic-vs-neolithic-
the-beginnings-of-human-society
PALEOLITHIC means “old stone”.

It starts with appearance of the first hominids (4.5

million of years ago) and ends with the discovery of
agriculture (7,000 years B.C.)

During that time, human beings were NOMADS, they

moved from place to place; they travel from time to Source:http://www.mysoci
time or with the seasons to find food and following the animals. alstudiesteacher.com/wiki/i
ndex.php?title=File:Paleolit
hic1.jpg
Humans got their food by hunting animals, by fishing
and by gathering fruits, nuts, and other wild plant.

They form small groups of 20 or 30 people called

tribes. The members of a tribe belong to the same
family. They live up to about 35 years because of a cold climate and common diseases.

People lived in family groups called clans. They lived short lives and many babies died at
birth.

They live in caves or huts made with sticks and the skin of the animals.

FIRE

Life changed a lot for the early humans when they discovered
how to make fire.

The fire allowed them to cook food, warm themselves and have
light. Fire could also be used to cut down trees and protect Source:
against wild animals. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GS2m
tgDyNjQ/maxresdefault.jpg
TOOLS

Men discovered that by hitting rocks together, they could make tools. Tools were so important
that the material they were made of is used to refer to different ages of human history- the
Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, etc.…

ART

Around 30,000 years ago humans begin painting on the walls of caves. This shows an artistic
sensibility. Characteristic of the art they paint animals: horses, deer, bison, mammoth, etc.
 Colors: brown, black, red and yellow made from natural materials. Animal hair is used to make
brushes. They believe that painting give good luck in hunting.

2. NEOLITHIC

“Neo” means “new” “Lithic” means “Stone”

The Neolithic Era (New Stone Age) begins 10,000
years ago, when humans invented agriculture and
livestock raising.
Neolithic people learn how to plant cereals and to
farm and domesticate animals. Neolithic people are
not nomadic. They sedentary/settle down in towns
and build houses because they have to farm and
need to be close to their fields.

They begin to form villages around the fields they farm and they learn how to make many
new things like: jewelry, pottery, bigger houses, better clothing, and stronger tools.

Trade begins during the Neolithic Era

Trade is buying and selling/exchanging goods. During the Neolithic people begin to trade for
things they want, so some people become traders.

TOOLS

People use stone tools, but they begin to be more

sophisticated, specialized, and they are often
polished to a fine finish.

Pottery is made for the first time during the Neolithic

Age.

ART Source:https://i.pinimg.comoriginals/90/91/

The human figure becomes important in Neolithic art, which often paints scenes with groups of
people hunting, farming or dancing.

Source:https//c8.alamy.com/comp/CR4F
WM/group-of-painted-warriors-or-
Source:https://encrypted- hunters
10.gstatic.com/images

1. METAL AGE
The Age of Metals began when human beings to learn how to use metals to make objects
(5.000 years BC). First, they use copper, then bronze and finally iron.

COPPER BRONZE IRON

TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY

Metal tools are better than stone tools. They are

stronger and can be shape Metal is used for:
-Tools such as ploughs and knives

-Weapons such as swords.

-Jewelry such as necklace.

FIRST CITIES

Source: https:pbs.twimg.com/media/EByMfEAXYAARjX-.jpg

Agriculture, livestock and the new technical advances, improve people’s lives. Because of
this, population increased. Some villages become small cities with hundreds of inhabitants.
Cities are surrounded by walls, and inside there are buildings with different functions:
houses, stores, shops or workshops.

First cities houses are small, their walls are made of adobe or stone and their ceilings
were made of straw.

MEGALITHIC MONUMENTS
In the late Neolithic Age, human beings built
what we can call the first monuments using big
blocks of stone, called megaliths (big stones).
The main monuments are menhirs, dolmens and
cromlechs (stone circles).

MENHIRS
Menhirs are big, long stones vertically put into the
ground.
Menhirs are probably religious constructions
dedicated to worship the sun.

DOLMENS
Dolmens are collective burial places.
They are made of big, long vertical stones covered
by several horizontal slabs of a great size.

CROMLENCH
Cromlechs are wide circles formed by several menhirs
put in round. They were probably used as sanctuaries.
 Source:https://cdn.britannica.com/38/1
82698-050-9FFE9D3E/Portal-dolmen

SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY IN ANCIENT TIMES

Source:https://images.robertharding.com/preview

Ancient time is the historical period that goes from the invention of writing, around the
year 3500 B.C. until the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the year 476 A.D.
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. Science and Technology keeps on advancing in order to meet the
growing needs of people along these areas. Due to the constant innovation introduced by
Science and Technology, which has the end goal of improving lives and making the work easier,
faster and efficient, our society respond by changing as well. These changes are evident as
each ancient civilization keep on creating technology that has been modified and that is being
used today.

1. MESOPOTAMIA AND THE SUMER

The word Mesopotamia comes from

Greek words meaning “land between the rivers”
(mesos ‘middle’ and potamos ‘river’). The rivers
are the Tigris and Euphrates.

Mesopotamia is considered the cradle,

or beginning, of civilization. Here large cities
lined the rivers and many advances took place.
Mesopotamia at first glance does not look like
an ideal place for a civilization to flourish. It is hot and very dry. There is very little rainfall in Lower
Mesopotamia. However, snow, melting in the mountains at the source of these two rivers, created an
annual flooding. The flooding deposited silt, which is fertile, rich, soil, on the banks of the rivers every
year. This is why Mesopotamia is part of the fertile crescent, an area of land in the middle East that
is rich in fertile soil and crescent-shaped.
Sumer (soo-MER), site of the earliest known civilization, located in the southernmost part of
Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, in the area that later became babylonia and
is now southern Iraq, from around Baghdad to the persian Gulf.
The Sumerians were the first people to migrate to Mesopotamia, they created a great
civilization. Beginning around 5,500 years ago, the sumerians built cities along the rivers in Lower
Mesopotamia, specialized, cooperated, and made many advances in technology.
Contributions made by the Mesopotamian culture
A. Writing
The creation of writing is attributed to the Sumerians around the year 3100 BC. It all began
with pictographic writing, which subsequently changed to ideograms, due to the difficulty of
drawing the concepts that they wanted to represent. Ideograms made the interpretation of
drawings easier.
As time went by, ideograms gave way to signs in the form of wedges or spikes that represented
sounds. This process of simplification was due to the fact that Mesopotamia wasn’t rich in rocky
terrain, which means there was a shortage of stones, but the land was rich in clay, which later
allowed them to create bricks. Cuneiform writing was carried out on clay
when it was still wet, which would then lay out to dry and baked with other
bricks forming larger scriptures.
B. The Calendar

The Mesopotamian calendar was one of the humankind’s first

calendars. Sumerian
astronomers were the first to regulate the archaic calendar. The months were divided
into four weeks of seven days, in accordance with the phases of the moon, leaving out the last
two days of each month, hence the calendar of 12 months and 360 days.
The days of the week were named after the moon, the sun and the five planets that
were known by the sumerians at that time: Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn. These
names have evolved in different languages in quit a similar way.
Source:https://ancientcivilizations
C. The Wheel
world.com/wp-content

Today’s civilization would not function without

the wheel. This circular mechanical object that revolves
around an axis is a fundamental component in any
machinery, in land vehicles and also to make pottery,
despite the fact that the Incas and the Aztecs manages
fine without it. The first evidence of the wheel is found
in a Sumerian pictogram, dated the year 3500 B.C.
One of the first ways it was in oxen-pulled wagons to
transport goods, as well as lathes to make ceramic
objects with greater speed and precision.
D. The Plow

Given the abundance of water in

Mesopotamia, agriculture was one of the
most popular jobs. To try and facilitate the
task of mixing the soil before planting seeds,
the people of Mesopotamia invented and
perfected the plow, which is considered an
evolution of the pickaxe and the hoe.
Initially humans pulled it, but later on
animals such as oxen or mules were
responsible for pulling the plow.
Plows were made completely out of a single piece of wood and were a similar shape
to how they are today, but until the arrival of the Romans, plows did not include iron blades,
which allowed them to delve deeper into the earth.

E. Metallurgy

Is defined as a process that is used for the extraction of metals in their pure form. In
Mesopotamia, there were three professions related to metallurgy: the qurqurru was in charge
of extracting the metal from the ore. The nappahu or smelter would make the pieces of metal
from material retrieved from the ore. And finally, the kutimmu would be in charge of
manufacturing objects with the precious metals.
F. The Sexagesimal (Base 60) System
The sexagesimal system is a positional
numbering system that uses the number 60 as an
arithmetic base which facilitates calculations with
fractions. The number 60 has the advantage of
having many dividers: 1,2,3,4,5,6,10,12,15,20,30
and 60). The sexagesimal system is used to Source:https://www.nagaitonya.com/e
measure times and angles. n/wp-content/uploads/sexagesimal-
open-graph.png

G. First code of laws

Hammurabi was the sixth King of Babylon and
is mainly known for the legislation of a new code of
laws: the Hammurabi code, which became one the first
written laws in history.
The Hammurabi code contains 282 laws written
on twelve tablets written in Akkadian so that any
literate person could read it. These laws provided a
punishment for every transgression of the law;
punishments that were very tough indeed, such as the
death penalty, eye for an eye, disfigurement, and the
list goes on. Source:https://www.history.co
m/.image/ar
H. Architecture

Due to the lack of rocky terrain, stones were a scarce commodity, which obliged them
to make use of mud, manufacturing bricks in order to build thick walls without openings, which
meant that their buildings were resistant, heavy and uniform. Wood was also scarce commodity
in the region, which is why it wasn’t used in construction work either. Bricks were easy to use,
and therefore they were used to build temples, palaces, walls and tombs.
The Great Ziggurat of Ur
The city of Ur was one of the most important
Sumerian city states in ancient
Mesopotamia during the 3rd millennium BC.
One of best preserved and most spectacular remains
of this ancient city is the Great Ziggurat of Ur.
The Great Ziggurat, which is today located
in the Dhi Qar Province, in the south of Iraq, is a
massive step pyramid measuring 64 m in length, 46 m in width, and 30 m in height. This height,
however, is just speculation, as only the foundations of this ancient monument survive today.
I. IRRIGATION

The Sumer were the first to make canals (irrigation,

better known as riego) between the two rivers that
enclosed Mesopotamia, Tigris and Euphrates. The canals
took water out of one river, and distributed it among many
agricultural fields, and then led to the other river. These
canals were made by digging a trench, then piling up dirt
on both sides, creating breaks in it when needed to water
plants. Later on, the sumer made their own levees, basically
a larger canal that could handle much more water. Natural
levees are embankments made through flooding, that are
built up over time.
J. Astrology and Astronomy
Assyrian Kings were surrounded by priests and
clairvoyants that interpreted dreams and omens based
upon astronomical observation. These Kings put the
astronomers in charge of finding out the best dates to
begin important projects such as the building of temples,
and when to start wars…their predictions were also quite
accurate.

Priests calculated the length of the days and nights, the sunrises and sunsets, and with
this information, they created the first calendar, which has been mentioned above, and with
which future eclipses could be predicted. The predictions were based upon the Moon’s
positioning in the sky but also in particular during the appearance of the first half moon at the
start of each month. These predictions were not applied to individuals, but instead were used
to predict the future of crops, wars or epidemics.
Babylonian Empire:
They overtook Sumerians around 2000 B.C. And they built capital, Babylon, on Euphrates River
the most famous king of Babylonian Empire was Hammurabi [1792-1750 B.C] Babylonians
were quite advance when it comes to science.
Mathematics
They invented the sexagesimal (relating to or based on the number 60) system of calculation
by sixties. They were the first people in history to divide the circle into 360 degrees of six 60s.
They also divided the hour into 60 minutes and each minute into 60 seconds.
Great Builders, Engineers and Architect
The Hanging Gardens
Nebuchadnezzar who possesses the attribute and talent
of a structural builders is credited for the construction of
the fabulous “Hanging Gardens of Babylon
” on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was
built by Nebuchadnezzar to please his favorite wife
Amythis, as a consolation to his wife who missed the
natural surroundings of her homeland, media.
Source:https://i.pinimg.com/originals/68/34/e1aeddfa966c9fd24aabo22096b85e.jpg
GODS OF BABYLONIAN
They were the first people in the world to devise the twelve signs of the zodiac and they
believed that every planet was a God.
Jupiter was Marduk Sun was Shamash
Venus was Ishtar Mercury was Nabu Mars was Negral
1. ANCIENT EGYPT

Ancient Egypt—a land of mysteries.

Ancient Egypt it’s one of the most important civilizations in History.
It emerged more than 5,000 years ago, along the River Nile in the north-east of Africa.
Ancient Egyptians lived near the River Nile, because the land was fertile there. Each year,
water from the Nile rose and flooded the area. When the water went back, it left mud
which made the fields fertile.
 Source:https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxyl
Contributions made to mankind by the Egyptian civilization

Hieroglyphics

This is a way of writing, which derives from Greek, “heiros”

meaning sacred and
“glypho” which means sculpt, etc. They were mainly
pictograms,which symbolized people, animals, plants, and
stylized objects, which were inscribed on Papyrus, temples, and
pyramids. Current researchers have said that hieroglyphics are the most ancient type of
writing in the world.
Unlike the Mesopotamians who wrote on clay tablets, the Egyptians wrote on papyrus.
Papyrus (puh pye’rus)-An ancient form of paper, made from a plant of the same name.
As early as 3,000 years before Christ, Egyptians took thin slices of the stem of the
papurus plant, laid them crosswise on top of each other, moistened them, and then pressed
and dried them. The result was a form of paper that was reasonably easy to write on and
store. The invention of this ancient form of paper revolutionized the way information was
transmitted from person to person and generation to generation. Before papyrus, Egyptians,
Sumerians, and other races wrote on clay tablets or smooth rocks.
Papyrus was easy to roll into scrolls. Thus, Egyptian writings became easy to store and
transport. As a result, the knowledge of one scholar could be easily transferred to other
scholars. As this accumulated knowledge was passed down from generation to generation,
Egyptian medicine became the most respected form of medicine in the known world.

The origins of the scientific method can also be dated back to

the Egyptians
They invented sailing as a mode of transport

Source:https://www.brightthubengineering.com/marine-
history/78133-the-sailboats-of-ancient-mesopotamia/
Mathematics

They created the so-called “false position” which was the or the beginning of what we now
know as the algebraic method. They also created the decimal system, complex mathematical
formulas, calculated the areas of trapezoids, triangles, and squares, resolved algebraic
equations and discovered “Pi”.
Pyramid of Giza

One of the world’s greatest architectural wonders. A pyramid is a tomb, a four-sided

stone structure that symbolizes the sacred mountain, humanity’s universal striving to reach the
heavens.
The ancient belief in raising the human spirit
towards the gods is the quintessential purpose behind
the construction of pyramids.
The Pyramids of Giza are the largest and most
recognizable pyramid structures in the world. They
were built to honor certain Pharaohs of the fourth
ruling dynasty of Egypt during a period known as the
Old Kingdom. The Old kingdom was the first great
era of Egyptian civilization and lasted from 2686 to
2181 BCE. The Pyramid complex at Giza consists of
three main pyramids as well as the famous Sphinx
statue. Today, Giza is located just outside of Cairo,
Egypt.

MUMMIFICATION

Egyptians believed there was an afterlife, as long as the

body was preserved. Consequently, a dead body was dried to
make a mummy, which was put in a sarcophagus. A wealthy
person’s tomb contained the things which were necessary in the
afterlife, such as food, jewels or statues of servants. Mummies
and afterlife.
Source:https://i.ya-wedesign.com/images/mummy-transparent-
coffin-4.png

1. Greek Civilization

The ancient Greeks may not have been one of the oldest civilizations, but they are
doubtlessly one of the most influential civilizations to have ever existed in the world. Some
of the most well-known objects in our daily lives originated in ancient Greece. Aside from
such concepts as philosophy and democracy, ancient Greeks contributed many mechanical
inventions that we still use today.

Contributions
Source:http://www.ancientpages.com/2016/05/06/ancient-greeks-invented-alarm-clocks/
Alarm clocks
 The world’s first form of alarm clocks, called water
clocks, originated in Ancient Greece. The oldest water
clock (or “clepsydra”) known, the Egyptian “hourglass
of Karnak, “dating to around 1400 BC.
It was created in ancient Greece, by Ctesibus, a
Hellenistic engineer and inventor. He developed an
elaborate system of dropping pebbles onto a gong in
order to make a sound. This sound was set to occur at
specific time intervals.

WATERMILL
The Greek watermill. It was a water-powered mill
for grinding grain which continues identically in use until
today. It was particularly suitable for the hilly and
mountainous regions of Greece and Asia Minor since it
was capable of functioning with small quantities of
water that were moved, however, at great speed.

COLOSSEUM

The Colosseum was the greatest Roman

amphitheater of ancient times. Located in the city of
Rome, it became a symbol of Roman power and
grandeur-and also of violence. For hundreds of years,
the Colosseum presented gladiator fights, wild animal
spectacles, and other types of entertainment. Much of the
entertainment was violent and bloody with thousands of
gladiators, slaves, prisoners, and animals killed each
year.
Spectators in the Colosseum were seated according to rank. The lower tiers of seats
belonged to public officials and members of the upper classes of society. Above this area
were the seats reserved for the middle classes. The lower classes had to climb even higher
to reach their seats near the top of the amphitheater.

THE OLYMPIC GAMES

The first Olympic Games were held in Greece in 776 B.C. They were called the ancient
games and lasted until the 4th century A.D.
The ancient Olympic Games were originally a festival, or celebration, of and for Zeus;
events such as a footrace, a javelin contest, and wrestling matches were added later. The
Olympic Games were a series of athletic competitions among representatives of city-states
and one of the Panhellenic Games of ancient Greece.
2. ROMAN CIVILIZATION

Roman Empire, ancient empire, centered on the city of Rome, that was established
27BCE following the demise of the Roman Republic and continuing to the final eclipse of the
Empire of the West in the 5th century CE. Considered the cradle of politics and governance.

Contributions

Architecture
The Romans constructed buildings with arches, domes, vaults which they adopted from
the Etruscans, mixing these elements with some decorative elements of Greek architecture.
Roman architecture is characterized by its monumental quality and by the way their
building were open to the public, Rome and the Empire were filled circuses, theaters,
amphitheaters, baths, roads, forums, basilicas, arches, and more.

Roman Numeral System

A numeral system (or system of numeration) is a writing
system for expressing numbers; that is, a mathematical notation
for representing numbers of a given set, using digits or the
symbols in a consistent manner. The same sequence of symbols
may represent different numbers in different numerical system.

Source:https://content.artofmanliness.com/uploads/2014/08/roman.jpg

3. CHINESE CIVILIZATION
Considered to be the oldest civilization in Asia. Prior to the coming of cities and literacy
(the hallmarks of Ancient Chinese civilization) major Stone Age farming cultures had grown
 up in China since the 7th millennium BCE. One was located in the Yellow River region, the
other in the Yangtze region, in the Yangtze, an agriculture based on rice cultivation had
developed, whilst in the north, the Yellow River region, millet was the main crop.

Contributions:

Arts/Architecture
The Great Wall of the China was built over 2,000 years ago, by Qin Shi Huangdi, the
first emperor of China during the Qin (Ch’in) Dynasty (221B.C-206 B.C.). In Chinese the wall
is called “Wan-Li Qang-Qeng” which means 10,000 – Li Long Wall (10,000 Li = about
5,000 km).
The Great Wall stretches across northern China. The Ming dynasty constructed it in the
15th an16th centuries to protect China against Mongol invasions from the north.

They created pagodas, which were basically roofs which

overlapped each other.

Source:data:image/jpeg:base64,/

They also manufactured porcelain and silk items which

linked them to the spiritual world they believed in.
 They are known as the first culture to the use ink in writing.

Chinese also used paper made from bamboo fibers, tree bark, and water.

Another of their longest-lasting inventions, alongside the previous two, was gunpowder, which
comes from mixing nitrate, charcoal with other substances. It was used to make fireworks.

The Dragon & Toad Seismograph

The Dragon & Toad Seismograph was invented in

132 AD. It was invented in Ancient China during the Han
Dynasty by Zhang Heng, the director of astrology in the
late Han court. It was invented to keep track of the
earthquakes the occurred in China.
The seismograph is used for locating earthquakes. When
an earthquake occurred, the pendulum would fall into a
groove and hit the rod. The rod knocked the balls out of
the dragon’s mouth and into the toad. The direction of the
site of the earthquake is determined by the direction of
the toad that the ball fell into. The Dragon & Toad located
an earthquake that occurred in Longxi in the Kansu
province. Source:https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qUUQuVS
rh8/maxresdefault.jpg

SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY IN MIDDLE AGES

The Middle Ages, period in the history that lasted from about ad 350 to the 1450. The
adjective medieval comes from the Latin words for this term. Medium (middle) and aevum (age).
Other names for this period given by the historians to include Dark Ages and the Age of the
Religion as it reflected a lull in learning and Literacy, but, in fact, there were plenty of
inventions and highlights during this time.
 The time period was known for its famine, plague, feuding and warring, namely the
biggest period of bloodshed was during the Crusades. The church was the overwhelming power
in the West and the most educated people were the clergy. While there was a suppression of
knowledge and learning, the Middle Ages continued to be a period full of discovery and
innovation, especially in the Far East. A lot of inventions sprouted from Chinese culture. The
following highlights range from the year 1000 to 1400.
Inventions during Middle Ages
Paper Money as Currency
In 1023, the first government-issued paper money
was printed in China. Paper money was an innovation that
replaced paper money that had been issued by private
enterprises in the early 10th century in the Szechuan
province. When he returned to Europe, Marco Polo wrote
a chapter about paper money, but paper money did not
take off in Europe until Sweden began printing paper
currency in 1601.

Movable Type Printing Press

Although Johannes Gutenberg is usually credited with
inventing the first printing press about 400 years later, it was,
in fact, Han Chinese innovator Bi Sheng (990-1051) during the
Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), who gave us the world’s
first movable type printing press technology. He printing paper
books from ceramic porcelain China materials around 1045.

Compound Microscope
For millennia, the smallest thing humans could see was
about as wide as a human hair. When microscope was
invented around 1590, suddenly we saw a new world of living
things in our water, in our food and under our nose.
Reproduction of first compound microscope made by
Hans and Zacharias Janssen, circa 1950. From the National
Museum of Health and Medicine, Washington D.C.

Source:site.google.com/a/brvgs.k12.va.us/cell-theory-janssen
Telescope
The telescope was another great
invention in the Middle Ages. Galileo was
considered the first to invent the telescope but
there is confusion between Hans Lippershy and
Galileo. Galileo was born in Italy in Pisa in 1564
and died in 1642. The telescope was invented in
the fall of 1609 in Venice. Galileo also made a
book by using the Telescope called the Starry
Messenger. The Telescope magnified 10 times
what you could see without it. The telescope was
made out of wood leather, which had a convex
main lens and concave eyepiece.
Source:http://danielromanportfolio.weebly.com/invention
-in-the-middle-ages.html
Cannon
The Cannon was another great invention in the Middle
Ages in Europe. The Cannon was considered heavy artillery in
the Middle Ages. The Canon was in the World War II in the
Bomber airplanes. It was an idea in1259 by the Chinese, which
were made of bamboo and iron. The Cannon was the also used
in the battle of Crecy. This invention effected society in a good
way because it made war able to fire and kill from long range.
Source:http://danielromanportfolio.weebly.com/invention-in-the-middle-
ages.html
Caravel
The Caravel was a smaller ship that was easy to maneuver
and go faster and farther than a regular ship in the Middle Ages.
The Portuguese were the people who invented the caravel in the
late 1400’s. the ship was 65 ft. tall had 3-2 masts and had an
unusual triangle sail called Lanteen. This boat also could carry up to
130 tons of cargo. The caravel also had another name, which was
an Iberian Workhorse. Christopher Columbus later sailed with three
ships to the new world and two of the ships were Caravels. The Caravel made it easier to sail
Source:http://danielromanportfolio.weebly.com/invention-in-the-middle-ages.html
farther and faster than other ships in the Middle Ages.

War Weapons
Great development in the weaponry technology also
occurred in this era. This includes cross bows and long bows.
Additionally, in close range hand-to-hand combat, soldiers
should wear something to protect themselves, a need addressed
by the creation or iron body armors. However, body armors
were heavy and limited the movements of the soldiers, chainmail
was invented to solved the problem.
Source:h3.googleusercontent.com/proxyl

SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY IN MODERN AGES

The booming world population during the nineteenth century onwards demanded that
more goods be produced at faster rate. People needed efficient means of transportation to
trade more goods and cover a larger distance. Machines that required animals to operate
must thus be upgraded. Faster and easier means to communicate and compute should be
developed to establish connections between and among nations. All these needs resulted in the
development of industries. However, due to massive industrialization, the modern times again
faced more complicated problems. Food processing and medicine posed some of the bigger
challenges since health was of great concern. As people were able to develop better means
of production to meat the needs of the population, food preservation and food safety became
issue.
Inventions during Modern Ages
Pasteurization
Louis Pasteur is best known for inventing the
process that bears his name, pasteurization.
Pasteurization kills microbes and prevents spoilage in
beer, milk, and other goods. In his work with silkworms,
Pasteur developed practices that are still used today
for preventing disease in silkworm eggs.
Pasteurization (or pasteurization) is the process by which heat us applied to food and
beverages to kill pathogens and extend shelf life. Typically, the heat is below the boiling point
of water (100-degree C. or 212-degree F.).

Petroleum Refinery
The modern times demanded better means
of powering homes and transportation. This led to
the development of kerosene and the petroleum
refinery industry (Skrabec, 2010). At present,
petroleum is widely used in powering automobiles,
factories and power plants, among others.

Source: https://www.eia.gov/todavinenerav/detail.php?id=8330

Calculator
An electronic calculator is typically a portable electronic
device used to perform calculations, ranging from basic arithmetic
to complex mathematics.

Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calculator#/media/File:CasiCalculat
Telephone or JS-20WK in 201901 002.jpg

The modern telephone is the result of work of many people.

Alexander Graham Bell was, however, the first to patent the
telephone, as an “apparatus for transmitting vocal or other sounds
telegraphically”. Bell has most often been credited as the inventor
of the first practical telephone.

Source:https://5.imimg.com/data5/HH/BP/MY-4308439/old-days-vintage-wooden-
working-rotary-landi-500.jpg
Other Development of Science and Technology in the 20 th Century
The Airplane
Invented in 1903 by Wilbur and Orville
Wright, the brothers brought to life a concept that
was reserved for mythological stories.
 However, the airplane was not taken seriously until Charles Lindberg made his solo
flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Photo Credit:Universal Images Group
via Getty images information
extracted from IPTC Photo Metadata
It revolutionized countless industries beyond just the realms of transportation. The effects of the
airplane can be felts in satellite and communication, business and commerce just to name a
few.
The Television
Though your grand parents may dis agree, television changed
the world for the better.
Created in 1926 by John Logie Baird, the was one of the first
inventions to affect the lives of masses all over the world, and
to this day still remains the most
popular ways of getting Source: https://www.wikiward.com/en/History of Television
information.
Broadcasting both news and entertainment, the television created entirely new industries
impacting culture to such an extent that it influenced the way people think about important
social issues such as race, gender, and class.
The Computer
Imagine a life without your smartphone or laptop. Yes, of
course, it is possible, but the loss would be dramatically felt. On a much
larger scale, some of the greatest scientific discoveries and inventions
in recent years can be contributed to the computer.

Source: https://resize.nswstatic.com/u u/w 480/git/1st-portable-computer-1-

The computer itself was born out of the minds of the many 622x415.jpg
scientists, researches, and mathematicians,
with the first programmable computer, the Z1, being created between 1936-1938.
From getting man to the moon to changing the way people communicate, the computer has help
mankind create a host of technologies that still play an integral role in our daily lives.
The Radio
Occasionally underappreciated, the radio was one of the first major
inventions of the 20th century. Invented in conjunction with many
different scientists including Nikola Tesla and Guglielmo Marconi, the
radio became the most used forms of communications in the world.
The radio in the early 20th century served as a social bonding tool, a
place of news, and education tool, and for emergency broadcasts, in
short, providing an entirely new way for people to communicate and
interact. Source:https://knowledgenuts.com/wp-
content/uploads/2014/09/179277905-438x205.jpg

Nuclear Power
Utilizing the energy released splitting the atoms certain elements, the
harnessing of nuclear power world go on to change the world in more
ways than one. First developed in the 1940s as a means to produce
bombs, it was not until the 1950s that the research of nuclear energy
turned peaceful.
Source:https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/images/2016.06
The Automobile .14/main.png
The automobile was under development in Europe in the 19th
century, however, the vehicle did not come into fruition until the
early 20th century. Once it did arrive, no more horse and
buggies.
Popularized by Henry Ford’s Model T in 1908, the automobile
gave the average person a bigger degree of mobility and
personal freedom while also spawning a revolution in the market
place.
Source:https://cf.itkcdn.net/cars/images/std/155285-425x340-modelT.jpg

Antibiotics
Antibiotics changed modern medicine forever. Considered by many as one of the man’s greatest
creations, outsmarting bacteria.
Before the Scottish researcher, Sir Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin, death by bacteria was
fairly common to the extent that even the smaller little bug could be fatal.
Antibiotics like penicillin and a host of others helped drastically reduce the mortality and even helped
people live longer healthier lives.
In fact, penicillin helped save the lives of million of soldiers in the World War II helping those who got
sick from war or suffered life threating injuries.
Internet
Aside from creating hilarious memes, streaming cat videos, and trolling online, the internet has affected
lifestyles across the globe since the first internet connections were laid in the late 1950s.
Education, commerce, science, art, music, communication, modern media, and travel have all been
shaped by the internet in some shape or form and that’s not even the half of it.
Human Genome Project (HGP)
The Human Genome Project (HGP) was one of the great feats of
exploration in history. Rather than an outward exploration of the
planet or the cosmos, the HGP was an inward voyage of
discovery led by an international team of researchers looking to
sequence and map all of the genes – together known as the
“genome” – of members of our species, Homo sapiens. Beginning
on October 1, 1990 and completed in April 2003, the HGP gave
us the ability, for the first time, to read nature’s complete genetic
blueprint for building a human being. Source:https://geneticliteracyproject.org/

Historical development of Science and Technology in the Philippines

The need to develop a country’s science and technology has generally been recognized as on of the
imperatives of socioeconomic progress in the contemporary world. This has become a widespread
concern of governments especially since the post - world - war II years.
Among Third World countries, an important dimension of this concerns the problem of dependence in
science and technology as this is closely tied up with the integrity of their political sovereignty and
economic self-reliance. There exists a continuing imbalance between scientific and technological
development among contemporary states with 98 percent of all research and development facilities
located in developed countries and almost wholly concerned with the latter’s problems (Caoli, 2019).
STONE AGE
Archeological findings show that the modern man from Asian mainland first came over land on across
narrow channels to live in Batangas and Palawan about 48, 000 B. C.
Subsequently they formed settlement in Sulu, Davao, Zamboanga, Samar, Negros, Batangas, Laguna,
Rizal, Bulacan and Cagayan.
Inventions
They made simple tools and weapons of stone flakes and later developed method of sawing and
polishing stones around 40, 000 B. C.
By around 3, 000 B. C. they producing adzes ornaments of seashells and pottery. Pottery flourished
for the next 2,000 years until they imported Chinese porcelain. Soon they learned to produce copper,
bronze, iron, and gold metal tools and ornaments.
Iron Age
The iron Age lasted from there third century B. C to 11th century A. D. During this period Filipinos were
engaged in extraction smelting and refining of iron from ores, until the importation of cast iron from
Sarawak and later from China.
Inventions/Discoveries
They learn to weave cotton make glass ornaments, and cultivate lowland rice and dike fields of terrace
fields utilizing spring water in mountain regions.
They also learned to build boats for trading purposes.
Spanish chronicles noted refined plank-built warships called caracoa suited for interisland trade raids.
10th century A.D
Filipinos from the Butuan were trading with Champa (Vietnam) and those from Ma-I (Mindoro) with
China as noted in Chinese records containing several references to the Philippines. These archeological
findings indicated that regular trade relations between the Philippines, China, and Vietnam had been
well, established from the 10th century to the 15th century A.D.
Trading
The people of Ma-I and San-Hsu (Palawan) traded bee wax, cotton, pearls, coconut heart mats,
tortoise shell and medicinal betel nuts, panie cloth for porcelain, leads fishnets sinker, colored glass
beads, iron pots, iron needles and tin.
Before the Spaniards
Filipinos were already engaged in activities and practices related
to science forming primitive or first wave technology. They had an
alphabet, a system of writing, a method of counting and weights
and measure. They had no calendar but counted the years by the
period of the moon and from one harvest to another.
The Banaue Rice Terraces are among the sophisticated products of
engineering by pre-Spanish era Filipinos.
Source:https://travelphilippines.net/Luzon/Banaue/
During the Spanish Regime
The beginnings of modern science and technology in the Philippines can be traced to the Spanish
regime. The Spaniards established schools, hospitals, and started scientific research and these had
important consequences for the rise of the country’s professions. The religious orders likewise played
a major role in the establishment of the colonial educational system in the Philippines.
Higher education was provided by schools set up by the different religious orders in the urban centers,
most of them in Manila. Later the Spanish established colleges and universities in the archipelago
including the University of Santo Tomas, Colegio de San IIdefonso-Cebu-1595, Colegio de San
Ignacio-Manila-1595, Colegio de Nuestra Senora del Rosario-Manila-1597, Colegio de San Jose-
Manila-160.

Parish schools were established where religion, reading, writing, arithmetic and music was taught
The Spaniards introduced the technology of town planning and
building with stones, brick and tiles. In many places, religious (such
as Bishop Salazar in Manila) personally led in these undertakings.
Meteorological studies were promoted by Jesuits who founded the
Manila Observatory in 1865. The observatory collected and made
available typhoon and climatological observations. These
observations grew in number and importance so that by 1879, it
became possible for Fr. Federico Faura to issue the first public
typhoon warning. At the end of the Spanish regime, the Philippines
had evolved into a primary agricultural exporting economy.
Progress in agriculture had been made possible by some government
support for research and education in this field. But it was largely
the entry of foreign capital ang technology which brought about the
modernization of some sectors, notably sugar and hemp production.
Source:https://uploadwikimedia/commons/thumb/6/67/The Manila Observatory

During the American Regime

Science and technology in the Philippines advanced rapidly during the American regime. This was
made possible by the simultaneous government encouragement and support for an extensive public
education system; the granting of scholarships for higher education in science engineering; the
organization of science research agencies and establishment of science-based public services.

V. REFERENCES:
Banaue- Travel Philippines. Retrieved from: https://travelphilippines.net/luzon/banaue/

Caoili, O.C. (2019). History of Science and Technology in the Philippines. Retrieved from:
http://tuxdoc.com/download/history-of-science -and -technology-in-the-philippines_pdf#download-require

Ceippugdenvalls. (2013, June 1).”Prehistory pwp.” Retrieved from:

https://www.slideshare.net/ceippugdenvalls/prehistory-pwp

Dolmen. (2020, June 16). Retrieved from:www.britannica.com>bps-ssl-gsm-topic-45000-3000

Compiled and Edited by:

LOUIE M. RAMILO
Subject Instructor
ramilomarco2019@gmail.com