Ancient Civilizations: Law, Medicine, and Technology Key Concepts

Hammurabi's Code

A written collection of laws and punishments from Mesopotamia.

Dentists and Tooth Worms

Early Mesopotamian dental practices based on the belief that tooth decay was caused by worms.

Surgical Instruments

Early tools used for medical procedures and surgery.

Astrology

The study and interpretation of celestial bodies and their movements as meaningful signs.

First World Map

The earliest known map representing the entire world known to the Mesopotamians.

Assyrian Iron Technology

The use of iron to make weapons, armor, and tools in Assyrian society.

Yakhcha

A Persian structure used to store ice and keep things cold; an early form of refrigeration.

Qanat

An underground water system used to move water to areas that needed it.

Egyptian Pyramid Mathematics

The use of practical mathematics and geometry to design and construct pyramids.

Egyptian Calendar

A calendar based partly on observations of the stars and the annual Nile flood cycle.

Levees and Dams

Water-control barriers; levees are barriers along rivers, while dams collect or hold water.

Nilometers

Structures with marked water levels used to measure how high the Nile rose.

Egyptian Eye Makeup and Early Chemistry

An early chemical practice involving mixing substances to create eye makeup.

Egyptian Toothpaste and Toothbrush

Early Egyptian methods for maintaining oral hygiene.

Mummification

The Egyptian process of preserving dead bodies after death.

Egyptian Prosthetic Limbs

Artificial body parts designed to replace missing or damaged limbs.

Standardized Harappan Bricks

Bricks produced according to a consistent standardized ratio across Harappan settlements.

Harappan Plumbing and Drainage

An early urban plumbing and sewage system using household drains connected to larger street drains.

Indian Ironworking

The development and use of iron technology for weapons and transportation.

Ayurveda

A system of Indian medicine whose name means "knowledge of life."

Ayurveda's Five Elements

The Ayurvedic idea that the body and nature can be understood through fire, earth, space, water, and air.

Indian Plastic Surgery

Surgical procedures intended to change or restore the shape of the body.

Earth as a Sphere

The Indian understanding that the Earth is spherical rather than flat.

Indian Seaports and Trade

Organized coastal ports used for long-distance maritime trade.

Gupta Trigonometry and Astronomy

The development and use of trigonometry and mathematical astronomy during the Gupta period.

Indian Distillation, Disinfectants, and Smallpox Vaccination

Medical technologies involving distillation, disinfecting substances, and early smallpox vaccination practices.

Chinese Silk

A textile made from silkworm-produced fibers that became an important Chinese industry and luxury material.

Early Chinese Compass

An early magnetic device using lodestone to indicate direction.

Chinese Paper

An inexpensive writing material made from plant materials such as bark and wood.

Chinese Woodblock Printing

A printing method in which characters are carved into a wooden block, inked, and pressed onto paper.