2nd Semester S.Y.

2021-2022
By: Prof. Arcely L. Hariramani
Ancient, Middle and Modern Technologies
in the World and in the Philippines
► Learning Outcomes

1. Discuss the interactions between science, technology, and society

throughout history.

2. Discuss how scientific and technological developments affect society

and the environment.
Ancient Age: Three-age system
► Three-age system- a system of classifying ancient ages into groups based on
tool development stages.

1. Stone age (2.55 mya – 3000 BC) - is the period of weapons made of stone,
wood, bone or some other materials aside from metals.
2. Bronze age (3000 BC – 1200 BC) – it started when tools and weapons were
already widely made with copper or bronze. This was
achieved through metal extraction from ore (a person
Known as smelting) and melting and pouring it into mold
for shaping. Smelting was originally done with copper, a
soft metal.
3. Iron age (1500 BC – 450 AD) – this began when smelting pits made sufficient
advancement to produce higher temperatures that could
smelt iron ore (Reardon, 2011)
 AGE PERIOD TOOL ECONOMY HABITATION SOCIETY

Handmade tools and objects A hand of

Palaeolithic found in nature- cudgel, club, edible-plant
sharpened stone, chopper, Mobile gatheres and
handaxe, scraper, hunters (25-100
Hunting and lifestyle-
spear,harpoon, needle people)
Stone gathering caves, huts 0r
Age Handmade tools and objects skin hovels, Tribes’ and bands
Mesolithic found in nature- bow and mostly by
arrow, fish-basket, boats
river and
lakes
Handmade tools and objects Neolithic Revolution-
found in nature – chisel, hoe, transition to Tribes and
Neolithic agriculture.
plough, yoke, grain pourer, formation of
Gathering, hunting,
loom, earthenware (pottery) chiefdoms in
fishing and Farms
and weapons domestication some Neolithic
societies at the
Bronze Age Copper and bronze tools, Agriculture-
end of the
potter’s wheel cattle-breeding,
periods
agriculture, craft,
Iron Age Iron tools trade Formation of Formation of
cities states
Bronze Age (3000 BC-1200 BC)
Date Event
3700 BC The Bronze Age (-3700 BC to -500 BC)
The Bronze Age started at different areas of the world at different times.
The knowledge of how to mix the copper and tin moved slowly from place to place, plus many areas had
no tin and/ or copper to make the new metal.

3769 BC Near at Middle East (-3769 BC)

Bronze was already in use at this time. No one knows exactly where or how bronze was first discovered.
By around 3500 BC, farm tools and weapons were being made of this new metal in the area.

3500 BC Bronze Age began in Bohemia (3500 to 3001 BC)

Bronze was used in the Mediterranean and Eastern European areas. This new metal was expensive to
make, plus a craftsman was needed to make this new alloy.

2500 BC Indus Valley (about 2500 BC)

The Indus Valley civilization in India was a large early trading Center.
Bronze tools, weapons, statuary, jewelry, and even toys were discovered from this time period.

2400 BC China (-2400 BC)

The Longshan people of China Lived from around 3000BC to 2400 BC. Toward the end of this period, they
used bronze to make tools and weapons.
2300 BC Europe (-2300)
The Bronze Age started about 2300 BC in Europe. Few tools were made in the beginning but by 1200 BC,
bronze replaced all stone tools.
Bronze Age (3000 BC-1200 BC)
1700 BC Yellow River Valley (-1700 BC or so)
The Shang dynasty of China used bronze regularly. They even set up bronze-working communities. Around
1200 BC, Lady Hao, the wife of King Wuding, died and was buried with many items for the afterlife including
bronze vessels, armor,bells, tools, knives and tigers.

1650 BC Mycenaean Civilization (-1650 BC)

The Mycenaean civilization, located in present-day Greece, used bronze until about 1100 BC. The southern coastal
community of Phylos had 400 laborers in their bronze working industry

1640 BC Egypt (-1640)

The Egyptians did not have bronze until they were invaded by the Hykos around 1640 BC.

1500 BC Start of the Middle Bronze Age (-!500 BC)

Bronze started to be found in Western Europe. The undeveloped areas of Northern Europe did not use bronze until
about 1000 BC.

1250 BC Alps and Central and Eastern Europe (-1250 BC)

Around this time, bronze swords and helmets were made in these areas.

1122 BC Yellow River Area, China (-1122 BC)

After the defeat of the Shang Dynasty, the Chou Dynasty continued to use bronze-working techniques until iron was
introduced after 770 BC.

1000 BC Korea (-1000 BC)

The Chinese were the one who eventually introduced bronze-working to the Koreans around 1000 BC.

300 BC Japan (-300)

The Japanese used bronze and iron tools at this time that might have been brought over from South Korea. The
Bronze Age, though it developed slowly, was a tremendous time of technological advancement that helped early
civilizations flourish and expand.
Iron Age (1500 BC-450 AD)
This began when smelting pits made sufficient advancement to produce higher temperatures that could smelt iron ore
(Reardon, 2011).
Same with bronze technology, iron age also diffused in different regions slowly to North Africa, and then to
sub-Saharan Africa where diffusion of bronze technology was halted by the Sahara desert.
Middle Ages (450-1450 AD)
Major developments in science and technology in some parts of the world during this period are as follows (Abastillas,
2006).

China

Agriculture and Farming largely began in Huang Ho and Yangtze Rivers

Economy
Large-scale silk production started.

Bronze production became more sophisticated.

Middle Ages (450-1450 AD)
Physics
• Weight is force
• Motion is caused by force and stops by obstruction
• Convex and concave mirrors give virtual and an inverted image, respectively.
• Studies on magnetism arose.
Astronomy
• Calendars with 365 and ¼ days in a year were developed.
• Circle was divided into 365 and ¼ degrees.
• Stars, planets, comets, meteors and eclipses were catalogued and described.
Science • Various models of the universe were presented.
2500BC Mathematics
• Numbers were expressed in decimals.
• Knowledge on determining square roots was introduced.
• Sliding calipers were widely used in artisan works.
• Solutions on cubic, quadratic and intermediate equations were presented.

Medical Biology
• Diseases were believed to be caused by excess of: heat, cold, light, darkness, wind and rain.
• Exercise, water therapy and wine anesthesia were usually prescribed by physicians to patients.
• Diagnoses involved observations auscultation, questioning and pulse counting.
• Acupuncture began to effectively cure the most known body illness.

Technology The following were some of the major

Europe
Feudal system fully develop in Europe and had defined its economic history. It depended on
local agricultural and handicraft production and was characterized by having the following
heirarchical ranks in the society:
• Peasant
Economy • Lord
• Lay or Clerical
• Overlords
• Kings and Bishops
• Pope and Emperor
The church provided the intellectual and administrative expression of the feudal system.

Cathedral schools, which then became universities, were stablished to address the societal need for
intellectual advancement. Some of these Universities arose in the following European areas:
• Paris (1160)
• Oxford (1167)
Education • Cambridge (1209)
• Padua (1221)
• St. Andrew (1410)
• Napples (1224)
• Salamanca (1227)
• Prague (1347)
• Vienna (1367)
Europe
Listed below are the major discoveries and inventions in Europe during the middle ages:
1. Horse-collar
Pulls on the horse’s shoulders which enabled them to be used for ploughing and for wagon; a Chinese innovation
which came to Europe.
2. Clock/watch
A European development from a Chinese clock form which introduced the to-and-fro motion, thus giving birth to
mechanical clock.
Technology 3. Magnetic compass
A piece of magnetic device originating from China that showed direction and helped European mariners.
4. Water-mill and windmill
A Stone Age invention which was used widely in Europe during the Middle Ages; used a rotary motion covered to
reciprocal motion to generate power.
5. Lenses with spectacles
Helped in optical studies by aiding in focusing light rays and in magnification.
6. Gunpowder and cannon
Originally from China aided in various military activities.
7. Paper and printing
Originated from China and reached to Europe, widely used as writing material and for book production
Superstitions and dogmatism flourished

Diagnosis was very limited for urine inspection

Medicine Medical therapy involved magic, prayer, charms, faith healing and the use of different herbs.

There was poor hygiene and sanitation in general.

India
Information on diseases and drugs, and astronomical bodies were gathered.

A year was divided into 12 months with a total of 360 days.

Knowledge in solving square root and linear equations and the use of zero and
Science decimal place value was practiced.

Medicine was naturally based and not supernatural, in which diagnosis were
based on symptoms and appearance.

Metallurgy was developed.

Pre-Columbian America
The Pre-Columbian America was thrived in by three groups of people: Maya, Aztec and Incas. Their
contributions to science and technology are summarized in the following tables (Abastillas, 2006)

Mayan ( Ancient native of Central America) Civilization

Infrastructure Pyramids made of limestone were built by the Mayans.

Mayan houses were made of poles and leaves of palms

Large sculptures served for recording of significant Mayan events.

Economy Cocoa beans were used as monetary units

Mayans used decimal notations with zero represented by an oval shape while other numbers dots and dashes.

Astronomy Mayan solar calendar was developed consisting of 365 days in a year comprising 18 months of 20 days.

Positions of different heavenly bodies were observed and recorded.

Aztec (Pre-Columbian Indians of Mexico) Civilization

Infrastructure High temples were built for their Deities

Astronomy Decimal notations were used, in which zero was similarly represented by an oval shapes and other numbers by dots and dashes

A social calendar was developed with 365 days for a total of 18 months.

Incas (Pre-Columbian of Peru) Civilization

Farming practiced in terraced field with canals for irrigation.

Agriculture Chili and avocado were widely cultivated.

Clothes from Ilama and alpaca wools were made

Astronomy Decimal of counting was used

A calendar of 365 days was developed

Information Age
1. Pre-Gutenberg world – during the time when printing press was not yet around.
2. The Gutenberg revolution - printing press was introduce
3. The Post-Gutenberg world – the emergence of the internet and worldwide web.

The Rise of Digital Age

Computers Discovered by Charles Babbage, an English mechanical engineer, and considered the “Father of Computer”

Internet Developed in California, US in the late 1960’s. People behind the creation of the internet are Vinton Cerf and Robert
Kahn.
World Wide Web The World Wide Web (www.) discovered by sir Tim Berners Lee, a British scientist, 1990’s

Electronic mail Discovery of which was controversially claimed by V.A. Shiva Ayyadural, an Indian-American scientist and
or e-mail entrepreneur. He started building the system in 1978 when he was 14 years old.
E-mail was granted to him in 1982
Facebook facebook website was first launched in February 4, 2004 by a keen computer programmer,
Mark Zuckerberg with his fellow students in Harvard college and with other roommates.
Twitter Created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams

Messenger It was originally developed as Facebook chat in 2006 but changed in messaging service in 2010.

Youtube The largest on-line destination and the third most visited website. This website makes its way through the social
media via the tandem of Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, 2005 during valentine’s day
Google Larry Page and Sergey Brin, both PhD students in Stanford University. They developed Google as a research project in
1996. It was registered in September 1997
Instagram Created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Kreiger in October of 2010 with photography application that is gaining fame all
over the globe.
Reference:
❖ Table of Bronze Age
Source:
http://www.softschools.com/timelines/the_bronze_age_timeline/145/
► Science, Technology and Society
Ilagan, Yolanda A and et. al., c. 2018
Panday-Lahi, Muntinlupa City