2. Development of Science in Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica includes the entire
America. From Southern Mexico up to
the Border of South America. There is
no doubt that Mesoamerican Region is
rich in culture and knowledge prior to
the arrivals of its European Civilization.
3. The Maya Civilization
• One of the famous civilizations that lasted for approximately 2000
years.
• They’re known for their works in Astronomy.
• They incorporated their advance understanding of astronomy into
their temples and other religious structures.
• This allowed them to use their temples for astronomical observation.
• The advancement of their knowledge and understanding about
celestial bodies predicting eclipse and using astrological cycles in
planting and harvesting.
• They are also known for measuring time using two complicated
calendar system. (Tzolkin the Devine Calendar w/ 260 days and Haab
the Civil Calendar w/ 365 days.)
4. The Maya Civilization
• They also developed the technology for growing different crops and
building cities using ordinary machineries and tools.
• They also built hydraulics system with sophisticated waterways to
supply water to different communities.
• They built looms for weaving cloth and devised a rainbow of glittery
paints made from a mineral called Mica.
• They are considered one of the most scientifically advanced societies in
Mesoamerica.
• They’re also famous as one of the first civilizations to use a writing
system also known as the Mayan Hieroglyphics.
5. Inca Civilization.
• Inca’s made advance scientific ideas considering their limitations as an old
civilization.
• The following were scientific ideas and tools that they developed to help them in
everyday:
• Roads paved with stones;
• Stone building that surmounted earthquakes and other disasters;
• Irrigation system and technique for storing water for their crops to grow in
all types of land; (aqueduct system)
• Calendar with 12 months to mark their religious festival and prepare them for
planting season;
• The first suspension bridge;
• Quipu, a system of knotted ropes to keep records that only experts can
interpret; and
• Inca textiles since cloth was one of the specially prized artistics achievements
6. Aztec Civilization
• Aztec civilization also made substantial contributions to science and technology
and to the society as a whole.
• Some of their contributions are the following:
• Mandatory Education. Aztec civil. Valued educations. Their children are
mandated to get education regardless of their social class, gender, or age.
• Chocolates. They developed chocolates during their times. Mayan culture used it
as their currency.
• Antispasmodic Medication. They used this type of medication to prevent
muscle spams and relax muscles, which could help during surgery.
• Chinampa. It is form of Aztec technology for agricultural farming in which the
land was divided into rectangular areas and surrounded by canals.
• Aztec Calendar. This enable them to plan their activities, rituals, and planting
seasons.
• Invention of the Canoe. A light narrow boat used for traveling in water system.
7. Development of Science in Asia
• Asia is the biggest continent in the world and the home of
many ancient civilizations.
• It is host to many cultural, economic, scientific, and
political activities of all ages.
• In the field of science, technology, and mathematics, great
civilizations have stood out: India, china, and the Middle
East civilization. These civilization were incomparable in
terms of their contributions to the development of
knowledge during their time.
8. India
• India is a huge peninsula surrounded by vast bodies of water and fortified by huge
mountains in its northern boarders.
• Indians creatively developed various ideas and technologies useful for their everyday life.
• They’re also known for manufacturing iron and in metallurgical works
• They are also famous in medicine. Example for that is the Ayurveda. A traditional
medicine that originated in ancient India before 2500 BC.
• Susruta Samhita: Describes different surgical and other medical procedures famous in
ancient India.
• They are also notable in the field of Astronomy. They developed theories on the
configuration of the universe.
• Sama (2008) noted that their interest in astronomy was also evident in the first 12 chapter
of the Siddhanta Shiromani.
9. India
• According to Sama (2008), Siddhanta Shiromani is an ancient text covered topics such as; mean
longitudes of the planets; true longitudes of the planet; three problems of diurnal rotation; syzgies;
lunar eclipses; solar eclipses; and the paths of the Sun and Moon.
• Ancient India is also known for their mathematics.
• Bisht (1982) noted that the earliest traces of mathematical knowledge in the Indian subcontinent
is appeared in the Indus Valley Civilization.
• According to Bisht (1982), the people of this civilization tried to standardize measurement of
length to a high degree of accuracy and designed a ruler, the Mohenjo-daro ruler
• Aryabhata (476-550): Introduced a number of trigonometric function, tables, and techniques, as
wells as algorithms of Algebra
• Brahmagupta: He suggested that gravity was a force of attraction, and lucidly explained the use of
zero as both placeholder and a decimal digit along with the Hindu-Arabic Numeral system now
used universally throughout the world.
• Madhava: Considered as the founder of mathematical analysis.
10. China
• One of the ancient civilizations with substantial contributions in many areas of life like
medicine, astronomy, science, mathematics, arts, philosophy, and music, among others.
• Chinese civilizations have greatly influenced many of its Asian neighbor countries and other
countries that belong to the old Silk Road.
• They are known for traditional medicines, a product of centuries of experiences and
discovery of the Chinese people.
• They discovered various medical properties and uses of different plants and animals to cure
human illness. An example is the practice of acupuncture.
• In terms of techonology, Chinese are known to develop may tools.
• Famous Discoveries of Chinese Civilization are; compass, papermaking, gunpowder, and
printing press tools.
• They also invented other tools like iron plough, wheelbarrow, and propellers.
• They developed a design of different models of bridge, and invented the first seismological
detector, and developed a dry dock facility.
11. China
• In the field of astronomy, the Chinese also made significant records on supernovas, lunar and
solar eclipses, and comets, which were carefully recorded and preserved to understand better
the heavenly bodies and their effects to our world (Mayall, 1939).
• China made substantial contributions in various fields. The list of their discoveries and
inventions is overwhelming. These contributions were made along with:
• Mathematics
• Logic
• Philosophy; and
• Medicine
• However, cultural factors prevented these Chinese achievements from developing into
modern science.
• According to Needham (1986) it may have been the religious and philosophical framework of
Chinese intellectuals that made them unable to accept the ideas of laws of nature.
12. Middle East Countries.
• Middle East countries are dominated occupied by Muslim.
• Islam spread in the 7th and 8th century, a period of Muslim scholarship, or what is
called the Golden age of Islam lasted until the 13th Century.
• A Muslim scientist named Ibn al-Haytham is also regarded as the Father of Optics,
especially for his empirical proof of the intromission theory of light.
• Al-Jabr: A derived term of algebra named after Muhammad Ibn Musa Al-
Khwarizmi, and now known as the Arabic Numeral System that originally from
India.
• Muslim chemists and alchemists also played an important role in the foundation of
modern chemistry (Durant, 1980).
• In particular, some scholars considered Jabir ibn Hayyan to be the "Father of
Chemistry" (Derewenda, 2007; Warren, 2005).
13. Middle East Countries.
• In the field of medicine, Ibn Sina pioneered the science of experimental medicine
and was the first physician to conduct clinical trials (Jacquart, 2008).
• Ibn Siwa notable works in medicine are “Book of healing” and “The Canon of
Medicine” were used as standard medicinal text both the Muslim world and Europe
during 17th Century
• Among his many contributions are the discovery of the contagious nature of
infectious diseases and the introduction of clinical pharmacology (Craig & Walter,
2000).
• There are numerous Muslim scholars who made significant contribution in the
field of Science, Mathematics, and Social Sciences.
• The decline of this golden age of Islam started on the 11th and 13th century due to
conquest of the Mongols whereby libraries, observatories, and other learning
institutions were destroyed.
14. Development of Science in Africa
• Africa is blessed with natural and mineral resources.
• They were colonized by the Europeans.
• Early civilization in Africa are knowledge producers, too.
• Egyptian Civilization has contributed immensely and made significant advances in the field of astronomy,
mathematics, and medicine.
• Development of geometry was a product of necessity to preserve the layout and ownership of farmlands of
Egyptian living along the Nile river.
• The rules of geometry were developed and used to build rectilinear structures, the post of lintel
architecture of Egypt.
• The great structures of the Egyptian pyramids and the early dams built to divert water from the Nile River
are some proofs of their advanced civilization.
• Egypt was known to be a center of alchemy, which is known as the medieval forerunner of chemistry.
• They tried to study human anatomy and pharmacology, and applied important components such as
examination, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis for the treatment of diseases.
15. Development of Science in Africa
• Egypt was known to be a center of alchemy, which is known as the medieval forerunner of
chemistry.
• They tried to study human anatomy and pharmacology, and applied important components
such as examination, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis for the treatment of diseases.
• They tried to study human anatomy and pharmacology, and applied important components
such as examination, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis for the treatment of diseases. These
components displayed strong parallels to the basic empirical method of studying science.
• Astronomy was also famous in the African Region.
• African used three types of calendars: Lunar, and solar, and stellar, or a combination of the
three.
• Metallurgy was also known in the African regions during the ancient times.
• North Africa and the Nile Valley imported iron technology from the Near East region that
enabled them to benefit from the developments during the Bronze Age until the Iron Age.
16. Development of Science in Africa
• North Africa and the Nile Valley imported iron technology from the Near East region that enabled
them to benefit from the developments during the Bronze Age until the Iron Age.
• Mathematics was also known to be prominent in the life of early people in the African continent.
• The Lebombo Bone from the mountains between Swaziland and South Africa, which may have
been a tool for multiplication, division, and simple mathematical calculation or a six month lunar
calendar.
• Lebombo Bone is also considered to be as the oldest known mathematical artifact that dated from
35,000 BCE.
• Ancient Egyptians are good in the four fundamental mathematical operations and other
mathematical skills.
• They have knowledge of the basic concepts of algebra and geometry.
• The Islamic regions in Africa during the medieval period was also benefiting from mathematical
learning, which is considered advanced during those times, such as algebra, geometry, and
trigonometry.
