DEVELOPMENT OF STS IN THE ANCIENT TIMES

• ANCIENT CIVILIZATION

  Sumerian

  Babylonian

  Egyptian

  Cretan (Minoan)
• Sumer was the southernmost region of ancient Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq and Kuwait).
• Sumerian Civilization- The cradle of the world’s earliest known

  civilization and was first established in the region

  about 3600 BC.
• Sumerian Civilization- Known as the “first cities” in the world (ex. Uruk City)
• Sumerian- Transformed families into tribes which became

  cities and were later called the states.
• CUNEIFORM is the first writing system, developed around 3100 BC.
• SUMERIAN CLAY TABLET contains the Sumerian historical information and culture. It began as record keeping for trade and evolved for writing down laws and stories.
• The concept of the WHEEL actually grew out of a mechanical device that the Sumerian had invented shortly after 3500 BC - the potter's wheel. It was a heavy flat disk made of hardened clay.
• The Sumerians were among the first astronomers, mapping the movement of stars, planets and the moon into sets of constellations, many of which were recognized by the ancient Greeks.
• The Sumerians built the foundation of logic, mathematics, engineering, architecture, agriculture, transportation and medicine.
• SEXAGESIMAL SYSTEM of counting in units of 60 which served as the basis of 360 degree circle and 60 minute hour.
• Sumerians developed systematized TECHNIQUE OF FARMING: seed plow and irrigation.
• Wool from sheep made into the textiles, mastered the arts of BLEACHING AND DYEING.
• BABYLONIA was the ancient region bordering the Tigris and Euphrates River (Iraq).
• The capital of Babylonia is Babylon, and served as commercial and religious center in the Tigris-Euphrates valley.
• Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC) was the first leader of the Babylonian Empire, promulgating the famous law code that served as rule and standards which helped maintain a period of stability in the region.
• Nebuchadnezzar Il was the Neo Babylonian Emperor who ordered the construction of the "hanging Gardens of Babylon" (one of the seven wonders of the world) and Isthar Gate.
• IRRIGATION is a system of canals flanked by earthen dikes
• Babylonia has system of bookkeeping, double entry accounting,

  multiplication and division tables and calculations using geometry.
• Babylonia adopted the Sumerian sexagesimal system; made accurate predictions of astronomical phenomena like solar and lunar eclipses.
• Situated in the northeastern part of the African continent, Egypt is located along the Nile River which provided a fertile delta.
• The Nile River gave life to the civilization of Egypt. The early settlers were nomadic animal hunters, who soon changed their lifestyles to be farmland settlers.
• Ancient Egyptians learned to heat metal or (copper, gold, and bronze) and MADE WEAPONS AND UTENSILS.
• The Egyptians may have been the first people to make GLASS. They learned to heat sand in a hot furnace and blow the molten sand into glass.
• Egyptians wrote with ink and brushes on paper made of papyrus reels; their writing was pictorial symbols known as HIEROGLYPHICS.
• Egyptians' knowledge of human anatomy, physiology, surgery and medical plants enabled them to EMBALM THEIR DEAD.
• The Egyptians CREATED THE CALENDAR based on the phases of the moon, consisting of 29 1⁄2 days. The first 365-day calendar was devised by IMHOTEP.
• Interest in ASTRONOMY of Egyptians focused on the stars. The early calendar was based on the, appearance and disappearance of Sirius star, the brightest in their horizon which coincided with the annual rise and fall of the Nile River. This helped them predict the annual flooding on the Nile River.
• COSMETICS - beliefs on protecting them from evil for health and aesthetic purposes, example Kohl worn around the eye to prevent and cure eye diseases, and Wig to protect the head of shaved

  heads of the wealthy.
• PYRAMIDS still stand today as evidence of the Egyptians' scientific expertise and technical skills in geometry, engineering, architecture and labor management.
• Iconic monuments include Giza Necropolis (oldest of the ancient wonders and only one still in existence) and its Great Sphynx, Ruins of Memphis and the Valley of Kings.
• Cretan Civilization- Located on the island of Crete and other Aegean islands such as Santorini, flourished or 2600 to 1400 BC. It was rediscovered in the 20th century through the work of British archaeologist Arthur Evans.
• "The first link in the European chain." – Will Durant (about Cretan)
• Cretans were an Aegean Bronze Age civilization, ruled by King Minos.
• Capital of Crete: KNOSSOS, the grandest site of Bronze age palaces
• Minoans were mercantile people engaged in OVERSEAS TRADE.
• Many historians believe that Minoans were involved in the Bronze Age's important tin trade: tin, alloyed with copper apparently was from Cyprus.
• Crete became the central exporter of wine, oil, jewelry, and highly crafted works. They become importers of raw materials and food.
• Minoans built the first major navy ship in the world in which its main purpose was trade, not war or conquest.
• Minoans made carved statues, ceramics, frescoes, jewels, and inscriptions. These showed their knowledge in mathematics, engineering, and architecture.