Historical Antecedents in Science and Technology: Ancient Times

Vocabulary flashcards based on the lecture on Ancient Times, detailing key concepts, technological advances, and inventions from the Sumerian, Babylonian, and Egyptian civilizations.

Sumerian Civilization

An ancient civilization located on the southernmost tip of ancient Mesopotamia, known for its people's high degree of cooperation and desire for great things that led to major developments in science and technology.

Cuneiform

The first writing system developed by the Sumerians, which utilizes word pictures and triangular symbols carved on clay using wedge instruments and left to dry.

Uruk City

Considered the first true city in the world, built by the Sumerians using sunbaked bricks made from river mud or clay mixed with reeds.

The Great Ziggurat of Ur

Also called the mountain of god, a sacred temple structure built by the Sumerians using sunbaked bricks as a place for their chief god where only priests were allowed to enter.

Irrigation and Dikes

Engineering works created by the Sumerians to bring water to farmlands and control river flooding, allowing year-long farming and harvesting.

Sailboats

Watercraft attributed to the Sumerians created to address increasing demands for travel, trade, and culture sharing over large distances without requiring large human resources.

Wheel

A Sumerian invention initially created for farm work and food processes rather than transportation, which made mass production easier when combined with an axle.

The Plow

A technology invented to dig the earth at a faster pace for seed planting, enabling farmers to cultivate larger parcels of land with less effort and time.

Bitumen

A black sticky substance similar to asphalt that the Sumerians poured over sunbaked brick roads to make traveling easier, especially during the rainy season.

Babylonian Civilization

An ancient civilization that emerged near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, known for its great builders, engineers, and architects.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

One of the seven wonders of the ancient world, a legendary structure made of layers upon layers of plants, trees, and vines, said to have been built by King Nebuchadnezzar II for Queen Amytis.

King Nebuchadnezzar II

The great Babylonian king who, according to legend, built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon for his wife, Queen Amytis.

Queen Amytis

The wife of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II, for whom the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were legendary constructed.

Egyptian Civilization

An ancient civilization located in North Africa, famous for its pyramids, pharaohs' engineering feats, and practical contributions to record-keeping, cosmetics, and timekeeping.

Papyrus

A plant growing abundantly along the Nile River in Egypt that was processed into thin, light sheets for writing and record-keeping.

Kohl

An eye cosmetic worn by ancient Egyptians around the eyes to prevent and cure eye diseases, protect against evil, and symbolize holiness.

Wig

A head covering worn by wealthy ancient Egyptians for health and wellness to protect shaved heads from sun rays, allow heat to escape, and prevent head lice.

Water Clock / Clepsydra

An ancient Egyptian timekeeping device that utilizes gravity to measure the flow of water from one vessel to another to determine elapsed time.