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antecedents
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Essay of 37 pages for the course bsn at University Of Baguio (antecedents)
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ANCIENT PERIOD (3,500BC-100BC)
-The rise of ancient
civilization paved the
way for advances in
science and technology.
These
advances during the
Ancient period allowed
civilizations to flourish by
finding better ways of
communication,
transportation, self-
organization, and of
living in general.
,ANCIENT PERIOD (3,500 BC-100BC)-The rise of ancient civilization paved the way for advances in
science and technology. These advances during the Ancient period allowed civilizations to flourish by
finding better ways of communication, transportation, self- organization, and of living in general.
Different inventions during ancient period
1. Paper- As early as 3000 B.C., Egyptians had developed a technique for making paper from
the pith of the papyrus plant, a common sight along the bank of the Nile. Long strips were
woven together and weighted down to bind them into a strong, thin sheet. The Egyptians also
invented pens made of cut reeds, which were strong enough to write on papyrus, and mixed
soot or other organic material with beeswax and vegetable gum to make ink. These ancient
papermakers knew what they were doing: Many of these papyrus sheets inscribed with
Egyptian hieroglyphics remain intact and readable, even after more than 5,000 years.
2. Eye makeup- Ancient Egyptians knew all about the power of a smoky eye. Way back in 4000
B.C., they started making kohl to line their eyes by mixing soot with galena, a mineral with a
metallic bluish, gray or black hue. In some ancient paintings, Egyptians are depicted wearing
green eye makeup, a shade they achieved by mixing another mineral, malachite, with the
galena. Both women and men wore kohl eye makeup in ancient Egypt. They believed it had
healing properties, as well as the power to protect the wearer from the evil eye.
3. Democratic government- The word “democracy” comes from the Greek term demokratia,
literally meaning “rule by the people.” The word and the concept was introduced in 507 B.C.
by Cleisthenes, ruler of the Greek city-state of Athens. This form of popular government
consisted of three separate institutions: the ekklesia, or Assembly, which wrote laws and
dictated foreign policy; the boule, a council of representatives chosen from the different
Athenian tribes; and the dikasteria, a popular court system. In practice, only a small minority
of the Athenian population took part in this early form of democratic government, as
participation was limited to male citizens over 18. Athens’ system of popular rule would last
only until around 460 B.C. when an aristocracy began to emerge under the leadership of the
general Pericles. However, the democratic ideals and processes that originated in ancient
Greece have influenced politicians and governments ever since.
4. The marathon- In 490 B.C., as the story goes, a Greek soldier ran from Marathon to Athens,
a distance of just over 26 miles, to bring news of the Athenian victory over the Persians in the
Battle of Marathon. After delivering his message, the soldier promptly died. Over the
centuries, his story became conflated with that of another, more famous, Greek soldier:
Pheidippides. Before the Battle of Marathon took place, Pheidippides ran from Athens to
Sparta to warn other Greeks of the Persian invasion, reportedly covering some 250 kilometers
of uneven terrain in only two days. Unfortunately, Sparta was in the middle of a religious
celebration when he arrived, and the Spartans were unable to mobilize for war until it was too
late; the battle was already over. The first modern marathon took place at the revived Olympic
Games in Athens in 1896 and was won—fittingly—by a Greek runner, Spyridon Louis.
5. Concrete- The frighteningly durable substance known as opus caementicium, or Roman
concrete, first emerged some 2,100 years ago and would make possible the architectural frenzy
that began with Augustus, the first Roman emperor, in 27 B.C. The Romans mixed limestone
with volcanic ash to form a mortar, then packed this thick substance together with chunks of
brick or volcanic tuff to form the basic material for roads, bridges, aqueducts, buildings and
other structures—including such enduring behemoths as the Pantheon and the Colosseum.
Today’s scientists have concluded that Roman concrete, though weaker than modern cement,
, is astonishingly long-lasting, remaining relatively intact even after centuries of exposure to
seawater and other damaging elements.
6. Newspaper-The Acta Diurna (or “daily acts”), which first appeared around 131 B.C., served
as a gazette of political and social happenings in ancient Rome. News of events such as
military victories, gladiatorial bouts and other games, births and deaths and even human-
interest stories were inscribed on metal or stone and posted in areas with heavy foot traffic,
such as the Roman Forum. Later on, during the first consulship of Julius Caesar, the Acta
Senatus began chronicling the activities of the Roman Senate. The Acta Diurna, which
continued publication under the Roman Empire (after 27 B.C.), can be considered the
prototype for the modern newspaper.
7. Chocolate- This all-important invention comes from the beans of the cacao tree, which was
cultivated more than 3,000 years ago by the Maya, Aztec and Toltec peoples of ancient
Mesoamerica. These civilizations used the tree’s fruit, the cocoa bean, to prepare a frothy
beverage they considered an energy drink, mood enhancer and aphrodisiac all in one. The
Maya worshiped the cacao tree as sacred, and cocoa beans grew so valuable they were used as
currency. In the 16th century, Spanish conquistadores seeking gold and silver in the New
World brought chocolate back to Europe with them, launching a craze that let’s be honest
never really ended.
8. The Wheel- The wheel remains one of humanity’s greatest inventions. So many
advancements can be traced back to that first step inventing the wheel and learning how to use
it that it’s impossible to imagine the world without the wheel. Archeologists believe that the
wheel was invented around 4000 BC, which is just over 6000 years ago. Of course, circular
and wheel-like objects were in use prior to that, but it’s only around 4000 BC in Mesopotamia
that the wheel found its true use.
9. The Compass-. Inventing the compass greatly contributed to humanity’s exploration of our
planet. Without it, many great explorers would be lost, and the connections made through this
exploration would never come to be. Early compasses were most likely made in China and
often made of lodestone. A lodestone is a form of magnetite that occurs naturally. However,
those early inventions in 200 BC were more often used for spiritual purposes. It is not until
1050 CE that explorers started to utilize lodestones to help them navigate
10. The Antikythera Mechanism- The Antikythera Mechanism is the earliest example of an
analog computer. More than 2000 years old, this Greek invention was used to determine the
dates of various events several years into the future. It utilized over 30 gear wheels to help
track astrological movements, but also local events, such as the Olympic games. This kind of
engineering complexity would not be rivaled for at least another 100 years after the invention
of the Antikythera Mechanism.
11. Greek Fire- Greek fire was an invention that was used in battles at sea. It was an incendiary
weapon that the Byzantine Empire used against ships, but also on dry land.
We don’t know the exact composition of Greek fire, but we do know it was extremely deadly.
The use of naphtha and quicklime made the fire ignite when in contact with water. This also
meant the fire was impossible to put out.
12. Lycurgus Cup- The Lycurgus Cup is an old Roman chalice that seems to be the first example
of nanotechnology in the world. The chalice appears to change colors depending on the
direction of the light that hits it, ranging from jade green to blood red. It appears that the
chalice contains ground gold particles, smaller than 1/1000 the size of a grain of sand. Made
with mind-blowing precision, the Lycurgus Cup continues to baffle scientists to this day.
, 13. Nimrod Lens- Many credit the invention of the telescope to Galileo, but it appears that
ancient civilizations had their own inventions. As Galileo himself has asserted, it’s probable
that the ancients used telescopes. The discovery of this 3000-year-old lens seems to prove it.
Made out of rock crystal, the Nimrod lens could have been used as a magnifying glass, but
scientists firmly believe that it could be a part of an ancient telescope.
14. The Voynich Manuscript- The Voynich Manuscript is one of the greatest examples of
ancient technology that scientists can’t explain to this day. Hand-written and hand-drawn, this
manuscript contains hundreds of bizarre drawings and pages full of a language that cannot be
deciphered. Scientists, researchers, and engineers have attempted to make heads or tails of the
manuscript. Theories of what it contains include a phonetic transcription of a Turkish dialect
or an ancient Proto-Romance language. None of the theories have been proven true.
15. Iron Pillar of Delhi- Stainless steel was invented in 1913, which is why scientists continue
scratching their heads over the Iron Pillar of Delhi. Constructed sometime between 375 and
415 CE, this massive iron pillar measures 7.2 meters high and weighs over 3 tons. Despite
years of rain and wind, it has never rusted. Theories imply that the pillar was created in a
three-phase process that created a protective coat over the surface.
16. Zhang Heng’s Seismoscope- The first tool used to detect earthquakes was likely this
invention made by the Chinese mathematician Zhang Heng. Beautifully decorated, the vessel
was likely made around 132 AC. Scientists claim that this instrument was capable of detecting
earthquakes in a four-hundred-mile radius, even though the earthquake was not felt in the
vicinity of the seismoscope.
17. Roman Dodecahedron- The Roman Dodecahedron looks as though it might have a special
meaning, but modern scientists still can’t decipher what exactly it was used for.
Dozens of these small objects have been excavated all throughout Europe. Made by the
Roman Empire, these little gadgets were never once mentioned by the Romans themselves.
They could have been used in geometry, but may also have been flower or candle stands, ring-
size gauges, or even surveying instruments.
18. The Baghdad Battery- The Baghdad Battery, sometimes referred to as the Parthian Battery, is
a clay pot which encapsulates a copper cylinder. Suspended in the centre of this cylinder—but
not touching it—is an iron rod. Both the copper cylinder and the iron rod are held in place with
an asphalt plug. These artifacts (more than one was found) were discovered during the 1936
excavations of the old village Khujut Rabu, near Baghdad. The village is considered to be
about 2000 years old, and was built during the Parthian period (250BC to 224 AD). Although
it is not known exactly what the use of such a device would have been, the name ‘Baghdad
Battery’, comes from one of the prevailing theories established in 1938 when Wilhelm Konig,
the German archaeologist who performed the excavations, examined the battery and
concluded that this device was an ancient electric battery. After the Second World War,
Willard Gray, an American working at the General Electric High Voltage Laboratory in
Pittsfield, built replicas and, filling them with an electrolyte, found that the devices could
produce 2 volts of electricity. The question remains, if it really was a battery, what was it used
to power?
19. Mass-Produced Pottery- Other ancient people made pottery by hand, but the Sumerians were
the first to develop the turning wheel, a device which allowed them to mass-produce it,
according to Reed Goodman, a doctoral candidate in the art and archaeology of the
Mediterranean at the University of Pennsylvania. That enabled them to churn out large
numbers of items such as containers for workers’ rations, sort of the ancient forerunner of
Tupperware.
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