Science & Technology

in Ancient
Civilizations
(Part 3)
Prepared by:
Prof. Aileen I. Atienza

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 Ancient Civilizations
1.6 Roman Civilization
1.7 Chinese Civilization

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Roman Civilization

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Roman Cities

consist of
forum - a large
open plaza
surrounded by
important
buildings

Source: gettyimages.com

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Roman Cities
main temple markets
basilica where the town latrines and public baths
council met and town  fountains
administration was porticoes, colonnades,
carried on) arches
the law courts
(if separate from the
basilica)

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 Source: alamy.com
Source: trekearth.com
Colonnades Porticoes

Source: history.com
Arches COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
Source: gettyimages.com
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 Roman Architectures
Cathedrals
Basilicas
Coliseums
Amphitheaters
Aqueducts

Source: pinterest.com

Source: Inflyte COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

Roman Architectures
The Pantheon
• temple of all the Roman gods

Colosseum
• largest amphitheater
• seating capacity of 50,000

Arch of Septimius Severus

• monumental arch
• built in recognition of Roman victories over Parthians

Maison Carree
• the only temple that is completely preserved up to this
day
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Source: Smarthistory Source: Pinterest
The Pantheon

Source: darkrome.com

Source: realmofhistory.com Colosseum COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

 Source: amusingplanet.com

Maison Carree

Source: Pinterest

Arch of Septimius Severus

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Building Materials
volcanic stone native - Tufa
during 2nd century B.C.E. travertine white limestone
was utilized in the late substitute for marble.
Sun-dried and fire-dried mud bricks

Source: Quatr.us Stusy Guides

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Roman Aqueducts
Aqueducts -convey water from far away springs and
mountains into cities and towns through gravity.

Source: sites.google.com

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Roman Aqueducts
To supply water in
fountains
gardens
public and private baths
latrines
houses of wealthy Romans
agricultural lands

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Roman Aqueducts

Source: thinglink.com

Source: Wikipedia

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Roman Aqueducts
Aqua Appia –
1st aqueduct built in 312 BC
connected the spring that was 16.4 km from Rome.  
Rome had eleven aqueducts during 3rd century

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 Roman Numerals
Old number systems could not keep up with high
calculations requirements due to increasing trade among
nations
Roman numeral became the standard counting system for
trade concerns

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Roman Numerals
symbols: I, V, X, L, C, D and M
Used for communication and trading

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Roman Numerals

Source: alamy.com
Source: featurePics.com

Source: moruzzi.it

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Activity 1.3
Review of Roman Numerals

Write the lowest and highest numbers that can be

possibly written using the Roman Numerals
Other discoveries and inventions
Bound books
record-keeping of politics, history, literature

Source: History hit

Early Roman codex from wood COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

Bound books
Julius Caesar
started the
tradition of
stacking papyrus
to form pages of
book

Source: pinterest.com

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Bound books
Cover was
made of wax
but later on
changed to
animal skin

Source: pinterest.com
Wax tablet
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Other discoveries and inventions
Newspaper
used in politics and governance

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Source: ancient-origins.net

Different sections of Ancient Roman COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

newspaper
Chinese Civilization

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Chinese Civilizations
Oldest civilization in Asia

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 Silk

Source: knowrealchina.com
Source: alamy.com

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 Silk
Naturally produced by silk worms

Source: travelchinaguide.com Source: lunss.com

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 Source: ancient-origins.net

Source: ancient.eu

Source: tripchinaguide.com
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Tea Production
Tea leaves were harvested, processed and compressed
into cake form.
The dried teacake known as brick tea was ground with
the used of stone mortar.

Source: China Highlights COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

 Tea Production
Ancient tea was produced by pouring hot water to
shredded or crushed tea leaves

Source: tuulavintage.com Source: Quatr.us Study Guides

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Wheel-based mechanism for shredding tea leaves
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Great Wall of China
Said to be the largest and most extensive infrastructure
that such nation built.

Source: sites.google.com
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Great Wall of China
Was constructed to protect Chinese from invaders
Controls borders of China

Source: chinawhisper.com
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Great Wall of China
made out of stone,
bricks, woods, tamped
earth, etc
took 200 years before it
was completed

Source: History.com

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Great Wall of China
3,100 steps
21,196.18 km length
6 to 7m height

Source: ancientchina.org.uk

Source: Travel China Guide COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

Source: readworks.org

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Gunpowder
Originally, it was
developed by Chinese
alchemists to achieve
immortality

Source: timetoast.com

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Gunpowder
used for fireworks to
drive away evil spirits
used for artillery

Source: php.scripts.psu.edu

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Gunpowder
75% saltpeter
(potassium nitrate)
15% charcoal
10% sulfur

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 Gunpowder

Accidentally invented black powder that generated large

amounts of heat and gas in an instant.

Source: kids.kiddie.com

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Compass

• an artificial
magnetic pointing
device made from
lodestone
• the oldest south-
pointing navigational
device
Source: whatchina.cn

Compass during Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220AD)

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Compass

Source: sciencesource.com

Compass during Song Dynasty (960-1279)

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References:
Abastillas, Jr., V.N. (2006). STS (Science, Technology and Society). ACLC Trading Enterprises.
U.P. Campus Diliman, Quezon City.
Adhikari, S. (2019). Top 10 magnificent ancient Roman architectures. Retrieved from
https://www.ancienthistorylists.com/rome-history/top-10-magnificent-ancient-roman-
architectures/
Alen, S. (2015). The term Mesopotamia and geographical position. Retrieved from
https://www.shorthistory.org/ancient-civilizations/mesopotamia/the-term-mesopotamia-and-
geographical-position/
Antiquity Now. (2013). KIDS’ BLOG! The invention of the wheel: How the ancient Sumerians
got humanity rollin’!. Retrieved from https://antiquitynow.org/2013/08/20/kids-blog-the-
invention-of-the-wheel-how-the-ancient-sumerians-got-humanity-rollin/
Donn, L. (n.d.) Archaelogy for kids: stone, bronze, iron age. Retrieved from
https://archaeology.mrdonn.org/stone_bronze_ironage.html
Dosoudil, J. and Haward, N. (2006). Science and technology historical timeline. Retrieved from
http://www.bridge-online.cz/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/38_science_and_technology.pdf
Essential Humanities. (n.d.). The stone, bronze and iron ages. Retrieved from
http://www.essential-humanities.net/history-overview/stone-bronze-iron-ages/
References:
History.com editors. (2017). Sumer. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-middle-
east/sumer
History Learning. (2018). The history of Roman Numerals. Retrieved from http://historylearning.com/a-
history-of-ancient-rome/history-of-roman-numerals/
History on the net. (n.d). Mummies in ancient Egypt and the process of mummification. Retrieved from
https://www.historyonthenet.com/the-egyptians-mummies
History on the Net. (2000). Ziggurats and temples in ancient Mesopotamia. Retrieved from
https://www.historyonthenet.com/ziggurats-and-temples-in-ancient-mesopotamia
Hom, E.J. (2013). Roman Numerals: Conversion, meaning & origins. Retrieved from
https://www.livescience.com/32052-roman-numerals.html
 
Jarus, O. (2017). Ancient Babylon: Center of Mesopotamian civilization. Retrieved from
https://www.livescience.com/28701-ancient-babylon-center-of-mesopotamian-civilization.html
Jones, D. (n.d.). A brief history of the plough. Retrieved from http://www.ploughmen.co.uk/about-
us/history-of-the-plough
Khan Academy (n.d.). Classical Greek culture. Retrieved from
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/ancient-medieval/classical-greece/a/greek-culture
Khan Academy (n.d.). Cuneiform. Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-
civilizations/ancient-near-east1/the-ancient-near-east-an-introduction/a/cuneiform
References:
Klimczak, M. (2016). Changing beauty: The use of elaborate wigs in ancient Egypt. Retrieved from
https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-ancient-traditions/changing-beauty-use-elaborate-wigs-ancient-
egypt-005484
Mark, J. (2011). Sumer. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/sumer/
McNamara, D., Valverde, V., & Belleno III, R. (2018), Science, technology and society. C & E Publishing,
Inc. Quezon City.
Oxford Reference. (2019). Science and technology. Retrieved from
http://www.oxfordreference.com/page/scienceandtech/science-and-technology
Potter, H. (2018). The Roman aqueducts in Rome. Retrieved from https://traveltips.usatoday.com/roman-
aqueducts-rome-57048.html
Ramey, K. (2012). Technology and society – impact of technology on society. Retrieved from
https://www.useoftechnology.com/technology-society-impact-technology-society/
Renegrade Tribune. (2018). The ancient Sumerians: The Great Ziggurat of Ur. Retrieved from
http://www.renegadetribune.com/the-ancient-sumerians-the-great-ziggurat-of-ur/
Romae Vitam. (n.d.). Ancient Roman aqueducts. Retrieved from https://www.romae-vitam.com/ancient-
roman-aqueducts.html
Szczepanski, K. (2018). Where is Mesopotamia? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/where-is-
mesopotamia-195043
World History Charts. (n.d.). Ancient Greek philosophers. Retrieved from
https://www.worldhistorycharts.com/ancient-greek-philosophers/
Assignment 1.2
Essay. Answer the following questions:
1. Among the science and technology discoveries and
inventions, which do you think had the greatest
impact in the ancient society? Why?
2. Among the ancient civilizations, which do you think
had the greatest contribution in the development of
ancient society? Why?
3. If you were to live during the ancient times, what
civilization would you want to be part of? Why?
Assessment/Evaluation
Essay. Answer the following questions:
1. What is the relationship between science and
technology?
2. What is the greatest impact of science and
technology in the society?
3. How does society affects the development of science
and technology?
4. Specify the greatest contribution in each civilization.
5. What are you realizations in life after discussing
science and technology in ancient civilizations?
-The End -

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