Technology in Ancient Cultures

Did you know . . . • People first used skis more than 8,000 years ago? • The first wheels were used in pottery-not for transportation? • Traffic jams often clogged the streets of ancient Rome? Transportation technology is as old as human society itself. The first humans on Earth used simple transportation tools. They bundled logs together to make rafts. They used long poles and flat boards to carry heavy loads. Over the centuries, ancient peoples learned more about transportation. The ancient Indians trained elephants and horses for travel. The ancient Chinese developed the first compasses. The ancient Greeks built massive battleships. So what kinds of tools and techniques did ancient people use? How did maps of the world improve over time? And how did ancient transportation set the stage for our own modern transportation technology? Learn more in Ancient Transportation Technology.

Did you know that people first used road signs more than 2,000 years ago? Did you know that Ancient Rome had its own postal service? Did you know that Egyptian writers used flakes of limestone for scrap paper? Pens, storytelling, alphabets-communication technology is as old as human society itself. The first humans on Earth used simple communication tools. They painted on cave walls with twigs and animal fur. They carved simple pictures into bones and rocks. Over the centuries, ancient peoples improved the ways they communicated. People in the ancient Middle East kept records on clay tablets. The ancient Chinese made paper from wood pulp. The ancient Greeks and ancient Mayans thought of different ways to design books. So what kinds of tools and techniques did ancient people use? How did writing systems improve over time? And how did ancient communication set the stage for our own modern communication technology? Learn more in Ancient Communication Technology.

Did you know . . . • Ancient cultures measured time accurately with water clocks? • An engineer in the first century B.C. designed an odometer to calculate distance traveled? • People computed the first values of pi about four thousand years ago? Computing technology is as old as human society itself. The first humans on Earth used basic computing skills. They counted by carving tally marks in bone. They used body parts and basic tools to measure. Over the centuries, ancient peoples learned more about computing. People in the ancient Middle East used scales to measure goods for trading. The ancient Egyptians wrote textbooks including multiplication and division problems. The ancient Chinese developed an abacus for speedy calculations. Ancient Greeks made advances in geometry. What kinds of tools and techniques did ancient mathematicians use? Which of their inventions and discoveries have stood the test of time? And how did the ancients set the stage for our own modern computing? Learn more in Ancient Computing Technology.

Did you know . . . • The ancient Maya built magnificent pyramid-temples? • Ancient Chinese builders created central home heating systems? • One ancient Greek monument was taller than a ten-story building? Construction technology is as old as human society itself. The first humans on Earth built simple structures. They made houses from wood, clay, and animal skins. Over the centuries, ancient peoples learned more about construction. People in the ancient Middle East made clay roofing tiles. The ancient Egyptians moved thousands of stones into place to build giant pyramids. The ancient Chinese built a wall across northern China. The ancient Romans created massive arched roofs, long bridges, strong roads, and systems for moving water. What kinds of tools and techniques did ancient builders use? Which of their buildings and monuments are still standing? And how did ancient construction set the stage for our own modern building technology? Learn more in Ancient Construction Technology.

Did you know . . . • The Scythians used guerrilla warfare more than 2,500 years ago? • The Chinese general Sun-tzu wrote the first military manual in the fourth century B.C.? • Some ancient Greek warships had more than 150 oarsmen? Military technology is almost as old as human society. The first humans sometimes fought one another with sticks and spears. Over the centuries, early peoples developed more powerful-and deadlier-weapons. The ancient Egyptians built the first warships. The Mayans crafted razor-sharp blades from obsidian, a kind of glass. The ancient Chinese invented the crossbow. This mechanized weapon could shoot arrows much farther than an ordinary bow. What other kinds of weapons did ancient warriors use? What tactics and strategies did they employ? How did they protect themselves from enemies? And how did ancient warfare technology set the stage for our own modern warfare technology? Learn more in Ancient Warfare Technology.

Did you know . . . • Ancient people used bows to drill holes and start fires? • The ancient Chinese built a machine to detect earthquakes? •The ancient Romans operated a factory for milling grain? Machine technology is as old as human society itself. The first humans on Earth used basic machines. They used stone axes to butcher meat. They use levers to pry roots and rocks from the ground. Over the centuries, ancient peoples learned to make more complicated machines. People in the ancient Middle East devised wheels and pulleys. The ancient Chinese created wheelbarrows and bellows. The ancient Greeks built big war machines. What kinds of tools and techniques did ancient craftspeople use? Which methods worked and which didn't? And how did ancient machines set the stage for our own modern machines? Learn more in Ancient Machine Technology.

Did you know . . . • Ancient Romans invented a machine to harvest grain? • Farmers in ancient China destroyed the pests that harmed crops by bringing in their natural predators? • The ancient Mayans restored nutrients to the soil by planting corn and beans together? People learned to farm more than twelve thousand years ago. The first farmers used simple technology. They carried water to their crops by hand. They made farm tools from wood and animal bones. Over the centuries, ancient farmers devised better technology. Ancient Middle Easterners learned to breed sheep to produce different colors of wool. The ancient Chinese learned how to grow more rice using irrigation techniques. The ancient Greeks built machines for pumping water, grinding grain, and crushing grapes and olives. What kinds of crops did ancient farmers grow? What kind of animals did they raise? And how did people get their food before agriculture? Learn more in Ancient Agricultural Technology.

Did you know . . . • Doctors in ancient Peru performed brain surgery? • Ancient Greek doctors ran medical schools? • The ancient Indians knew how to protect people from smallpox? Medical technology is as old as human society itself. The first humans on Earth used simple healing techniques. They developed ways to set broken bones. They learned which plants were good for treating colds, headaches, and stomachaches. Over the centuries, ancient peoples learned more about medicine. The ancient Indians performed plastic surgery. The ancient Romans operated on people's eyes. People in many ancient cultures wrote medical textbooks. What kinds of tools and techniques did ancient doctors use? Which of their remedies worked and which ones didn't? And how did ancient medicine set the stage for our own modern medical technology? Learn more in Ancient Medical Technology.