Module 1: Overview of History of Science and Technology in Culture

Homo sapiens

Scientific name of modern humans

Family Hominidae, Tribe Hominini

Family and tribe of modern humans

Approximately 40,000 years ago

The time when Homo sapiens became the last species of the genus Homo

Africa

The continent of origin of hominids

Single wave dispersal model

The model which states that a primary dispersal out of Africa occurred, followed by a relatively rapid spread across Eurasia and eventually to Australia and the Americas

Multiple waves dispersal model

The model which states that humans left Africa in several waves of migration, with some populations moving back to Africa

Cognitive Revolution

According to Harari, this major part in human history is the start of behavioral modernity as we developed new ways of thinking and communicating.

Hunter-gatherer or forager

A human living in a community in which most food are obtained by either gathering food from naturally occuring sources or by hunting game

Average brain size

This has decreased in humans since the age of foraging 40,000 years ago.

Gorging gene theory

This theory states that our ancestors possessed genes that enabled them to efficiently store fat to survive times of food scarcity.

Nomadic living

This is the lifestyle of early humans described as “moving from place to place.” only carrying with them essential possessions.

Wildfires or bushfires

It is the source of fire of early humans before they were able to make it themselves.

Percussion and friction method

The two main methods used by early humans to make fire

Flint

It is the first mineral mined by humans to utilize in tool creation.

Gold and copper

These two prominent minerals were first mined by humans during the Neolithic Period.

Stone cores

Pieces of rocks from which flakes have been removed

Venus of Hohle Fels

• An Upper Paleolithic Venus figurine made of mammoth ivory

• Was found in Hohle Fels Cave in Germany

Löwenmensch

• A prehistoric ivory sculpture depicting a human with a cave lion head

• Was found in Hohlenstein-Stadel in Germany

Petroglyphs

An image formed by removing a part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading

Lascaux Cave

A network of caves in France, known for its 600 parietal wall paintings depicting megafauna of the Upper Paleolithic

Cueva de las Manos

A cave complex in Argentina known for its paintings of hands stenciled on rock walls

Agricultural Revolution

According to Harari, this major part in human history involves the development of efficient food production.

Fertile Crescent

The region in Middle East regarded as the birthplace of agriculture

Persian Gulf through modern-day southern Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and northern Egypt

It is the modern day scope of the Fertile Crescent.

Occupational Stratification

Refers to the hierarchial arrangement of jobs within a society

Temple economy or temple-state economy

An economy where temples serve as central institutions wielding significant economic power and influence, often ruled by a religious personnel

Kingdoms

Unlike in temple economy, this refers to a state with secular rulers such as scholars or monarchs

Artisans or craftsmen

They are skilled craft workers who makes or creates material objects partly or entirely by hand.

Sumer

• It is the earliest known civilization located in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia (now Southern Iraq)

• People of this civilization were known as Sumerians (called themselves Sag-giga)

Levees and canals

The infrastructures used by Sumerians to control irrigation for agriculture

Ziggurats

Rectangular stepped towers functioning as both temples and civic centers in Sumer

Epic of Gilgamesh

An epic from ancient Mesopotamia composed of five Sumerian poems about Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk

Babylonia

An anncient Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area located in central-southern Mesopotamia (now Iraq)

Code of Hammurabi

An ancient Babylonian legal text inscribed on basalt stele

Tower of Babel

An origin myth in the Book of Genesis meant to explain the existence of different languages

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Ancient gardens considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World

Assyria

• A major ancient Mesopotamian civilization known for its powerful military and cultural achievements

• Located in what is now northern Iraq, Southeastern Turkey, and parts of Kuwait and Syria

Crete

• An island in Greece populayed by the Minoan civilization

• They exported timber, olive oil, and dye; and imported metals, ivory, and precious stones

Scientific Revolution

According to Harari, this major part in human history is marked by the emergence of objective science, including abstract reasoning and quantitative thought.

Early Mathematics

It was mostly about proving theorems and became the foundation of early philosophy.

A priori

Knowledge that is obtained by analyzing concepts independent of experience

A posteriori

Knowledge that is obtained through experience

Roman Empire

• One of the largest and most powerful political, military, and cultural powers in Western civilization

• Founded in ancient Italy

Etruria and Latium

The two main regions of ancient Italy

Regal, Republican, & Imperial

The three periods of the Roman Empire

Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius)

First emperor of Rome

Pont du Gard

An ancient Roman aqueduct bridge built to carry water over 50km to the Roman colony of Nemausus

The Colosseum

An elliptical amphitheater in the center of Rome and is the largest ancient ampitheater ever built

Roman sarcophagi

An ancient Roman funerary art characterized by elaborate carvings in relief; often on marble and limestone

Christianity

Originated in the mid-1st century CE as a Jewish sect in Judea and spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond

Classical Ages

• During this age, technological and scientific advances were spearheaded through the Catholic church by the clergy in the monasteries

• Developments in abstract thought and sciences were seen more in the Islamic and Chinese empires

Catholic Church

• The most powerful institution of the medieval period (14th to 17th century)

• Controlled the intellectual and administrative expression of the period

Roger Bacon

A Franciscan friar that first understood the process of making gunpowder, proposed flying machines, motorized ships and carriages, and invented magnifying glasses.

Cathedral schools and universities

Where the clergymen of the Catholic church trained

Monastery

Was the center of culture in the Western civilization during the Middle Ages

Islam

A monotheistic religion originated in the Middle East; flourished during the Middle Ages