Module 1: Historical Antecedents in the Course of Science and Technology
What will you learn from this module?
Have you ever wondered about the petty things from the past civilization? like how they build a
solid and stable infrastructure, how they come up with some of the most ground-breaking inventions like
clock, battery, system of writing, even the cosmetics?
If yes, this module is for you.
In this module, you will learn the about the ancient history and the early civilization.
You will study the different technological advancements during the ancient times, which include some of
the achievements of the early civilizations such as Sumerians, Babylonians, and Egyptians.
This module is composed of four lessons.
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Lesson 1: Ancient Times
Lesson 2: Medieval/Middle Ages
Lesson 3: Modern Times
Lesson 4: Philippine Inventions
After studying this module, you should be able to;
1. Explain how science and technology affected the society and environment and vice versa;
2. Identify inventions and discoveries that changed the world over the course of history and;
3. Discuss the scientific and technological developments in the Philippines.
INTRODUCTION
Science comes from the Latin word scienctia, meaning ‘knowledge.’ It refers to a systematic and
methodical activity of building and organizing knowledge about how the universe behaves through
observation, experimentation or both.
Technology, for its part, is the application of scientific knowledge, laws, and principles to produce
services, materials, tools, and machines aimed at solving real-world problems. It comes from the Greek root
word techne, meaning ‘art, skill, or cunning of hand.’
According to Albert Einstein, “it is not knowledge if you only derived it from books but if you can derive
it on numbers, it is considered knowledge.” Because numbers are the application of knowledge and
technology is the application of numbers and science.
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LESSON 1
Let’s Read
Historical Antecedents in the Course of
Science and Technology
In the ancient times, people were concerned with transportation and navigation, communication, and
recordkeeping, mass production, security and protection, as well as health, aesthetics, and architecture.
Transportation was significant during that time because people were trying to go places and discover
new horizons. They are travelling to search for food and find better locations for their settlements. They
also travelled to trade their surplus goods in exchange for things that they lacked.
Communication was also essential in their endeavors to discover and occupy new places. They needed a
way to communicate with the natives of the areas they visited so as to facilitate trade and prevent possible
conflicts.
The increase in size and number of nations connoted increased demand for food and other basic
necessities, this condition also implied that the people must be able to produce food at a given time and
space since resources were getting scarcer as more people struggled to share the basic necessities. The
people thus needed a form of technology that would enable them to increase food supplies and other
survival needs.
SUMERIAN CIVILAZATION
Sumeria is located on the southernmost tip of ancient
Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in
the area later became Babylonia, Sumerians, are known
for their high degree of cooperation with one another and
their desire for great things. They are not contented with
the basic things that life can offer. This desire pushed
them to develop many things connected with science and
technology.
CUNIEFORM
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One of the major contributions of the Sumerians is
the development of the first writing system known as
cuneiform. It is a system that utilizes word pictures and
triangular symbols which are carved on clay using
wedge instruments and then left to dry. Cuneiform
allowed the Sumerians to keep records of things with
great historical value or their everyday life. It is also
one way of passing their traditions, cultures, and their
legacy.
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URUK CITY
Another important contribution of the Sumerians is the City of Uruk.
It is a great wonder not only because it is considered to be the first true
city in the world but also for the way it was erected. There were no
building stones in the location of this city and lumber was limited,
making the construction a big challenge. The Sumerians we re able to
build the city using only mud or clay from the river, which they mixed
with reeds, producing sunbaked bricks-a true engineering feat. They
used the bricks to make houses that protected them from the harsh
weather and to build a wall around the city that prevented wild animals
and neighboring raiders from entering.
THE GREAT ZIGGURAT OF UR
Another engineering and architectural feat of the
Sumerians is the Great Ziggurat of Ur. The
Ziggurat, also called the mountain of God, was
built in the same manner that they constructed the
City of Uruk. Without much building materials, the
structure was constructed using sunbaked bricks.
The Ziggurat served as the sacred place of their
chief god, where only priest was allowed to enter.
IRRIGATION AND DIKES
As population increase, so did the demand for food. The Sumerians were challenged to mass produce
items but the elements in the environment seemed uncooperative. It was difficult to get water form the
rivers, thus they could not maintain farmlands. Some groups had scarce water supply, while others had
problems with flooding caused by the river. As a solution to this dilemma, the Sumerians created dikes and
irrigation canals to bring water to farmlands and at the same time control the flooding of the rivers. This
method was considered as one of the world’s most beneficial engineering works.
SAIL BOATS
Another challenge to the Sumerians was transportation. At that
time, the wheel was not yet invented; the main mode of
transportation was trough waterways such as rivers and seas. Boats
were used to carry large quantities of products and were able to cover
large distances. However, they wanted to discover faraway lands to
settle since the population was getting larger, and boats were not
enough to accommodate more people and products. They needed a
mode of transportation that did not require much human resource.
Some resources attribute to the Sumerians the invention of sailboats to address their increasing demands.
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Sailboats were essential in transportation and trading as well as in fostering culture, information, and
technology.
WHEEL
In the latter part of their history, the Sumerians were able to invent the
wheel since the specialized tools needed to create it were already
available. The first wheels were not made for transportation but for
farm work and food process. With the use of the wheel and axel, mass
production was made easier. Farmers were able to mill grains with less
effort in less time.
THE PLOW
Another farm technology invented by the Mesopotamians is the plow.
The plow was invented to dig the earth in a faster pace. As the plow
beaks the ground, the farmer would just drop the seeds and farm work
would already be done
ROADS
In order to facilitate faster and easier travel, the Sumerians developed
the first roads. With this work, the flow of traffic became faster and
more organized. They made the roads with the same technology they
used in making sunbaked bricks that they laid down on the ground
The Sumerians does not have any degree in engineering or in architecture, but they were able to build
buildings, road, infrastructure and many more that are still solid at stable until now.
BABYLONIAN CIVILIZATION
Babylonian civilization emerged near the Tigris and
Euphrates river. The Babylonians were great builders,
engineers, and architects. Babylonia as I have mentioned
emerge near the river because water is one of their basic
necessities. Water brings food for them, brings energy and
beauty, and it also enable them to travel from one place to
another. With the use of river, they are able to exchange
their goods to other places and they can also use it to conquer and also to escape.
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One of their major contributions is the hanging garden of Babylon,
one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Today, people can
only marvel at the beauty of the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon
form the stories of historians and paintings that portray the place. It
was said to be a structure made up of layers upon layers of gardens
that contained several species of plants, trees, and vines. However, no
physical evidence has been found to prove the existence of the
Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Its exact location is unknown.
EGYPITAN CIVILIZATION
Another early civilization famous for it legacy is the
Egyptian civilization located in North Africa. Many
stories tell about the engineering feats of the Egyptian
especially regarding infrastructures established by the
Pharaohs.
PAPER OR PAPYRUS
Aside from the Sumerians, Egyptians also developed a system of
writing, they were able to make writing easier for the world. Before,
they are using tables made from clay tablets but they find it fragile,
heavy, and delicate to handle. Hence, the Egyptian invention of paper
or papyrus was a welcome development. They were able to process
the plant in order to produce thin sheets on which one could write
down things
INK
When Egyptians invented the papyrus or the paper, engraving ceased to be used in writing. As a result,
the Egyptians invented ink by combining soot with different chemicals to produce inks of different colors.
HEIROGLYPHICS
Like Sumerians, the Egyptians also developed a system
of writing using symbols, known as hieroglyphics.
Although some say that hieroglyphics was adapted from the
early writing system established in Mesopotamia as a result
of trade between civilizations the Egyptians believed that
this writing systems was provided to them by their gods.
Their way of writing is also the root cause why many
scientists are confused about their history. Hieroglyphics is
not just an ordinary writing of text, but it is also consisting
of many different symbols and illustrations that may lead
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the scientist to misinterpretation of data or meaning. Hieroglyphics was the language that tells the modern
world of the history and culture of the ancient Egyptians. Their records were well-preserved since they
were carved at the walls of pyramids and other important Egyptian structures.
COSMETICS AND WIG
Cosmetics nowadays are essentials in building
your self confidence but did you know that the
cosmetics that we are using right now is invented
by the Egyptians? Although cosmetics in the
modern times are used to improve and highlight
the facial features of a person, their function in
ancient Egypt was for both health and aesthetic.
For example, Egyptians wore kohl around the eyes to prevent and even cure eye diseases. Kohl was
created by mixing soon or malachite with mineral galena.
Another cosmetic invention of ancient Egyptian is the wig. Nowadays, wigs are used to enhance the
appearance of people who are balding or those who want to try new hair trends. Meanwhile, during the
ancient Egyptian times, they were used for health and wellness rather than for aesthetic purposes. They
used it to cover their head from the harmful rays of the sun.
WATER CLOCK/CLEPSYDRA
Another important ancient Egyptian contribution is the water clock. This device
utilizes gravity that affects the flow of water from on vessel to another. This
invention also leads to our modern-day clock through series of improvement done
by the succeeding civilization.
GREEK CIVILIZATION
Many students are actually excited about the Greek
civilization because they think about the Greek Gods and
Goddesses but spoiler alert, they are just myths. Greece is
an archipelago in the southeastern part of Europe. This
makes their country difficult to conquer since it is an
archipelago, they can hide or ambush the enemy from
various island. Europe is known as the birth place of
western philosophy, some of the major achievements of the
Greeks include in-depth works on philosophy and mathematics. Greek civilization has contributed much to
the world especially in the fields of science and technology.
The first proponents of an atomic theory were the Greek philosophers Leucippus and Democritus in the
field of science and on the field of math they have Pythagoras who was perhaps the first to realize that a
complete system of mathematics could be constructed and later called Pythagorean Theorem.
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ALARM CLOCK
One of the most utilized gadgets today was invented by ancient
Greeks is the alarm clock. Although the alarm clock during that
time does not resembles the present-day clocks, the purpose was
just the same- to tell an individual when to stop or when to start.
This invention according to the scientist resembles that of the
Egyptians but this is more complex but more accurate.
WATER MILL
Watermills were also considered as one of the most important
contributions of the Greek civilization to the world. They were
commonly used in agricultural processes like milling of grains
which is necessary form of food processing during that time.
Mass production of rice, cereals, flours and the like became
common with the help of watermills. Modern-day watermills also
help for converting mechanical energy into electricity which also
leads to invention of windmill and turbine.
ROMAN CIVILIZATION
The Roman Empire was perceived to be the strongest political and social entity in the west. Political
because of its huge population and territory and social because of religion. It was considered to be the
cradle of politics and governance during the period. Because the Roman Empire was so large, other
civilizations looked up to it as their model in terms of legislation and codified law. That is why many other
civilizations were conquered by the Roman Empire because of its existing laws which make it more
complex and more stable compared to the other civilizations or empire.
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The following are the inventions and innovations of the Roman Empire.
 Newspaper
 Bound Books or Codex
 Roman Architecture
 Roman numerals
All of the above-mentioned inventions are still existing in this present-day civilization and are used in the
entire world. The most famous is the newspaper which is globally used by different races.
CHINESE CIVILIZATION
The Chinese civilization is considered the oldest
civilization in Asia, if not the world. Also known as the
middle kingdom, China is located on the far east of Asia. It
was very famous among the other ancient civilization
because of its silk trade.
The following are contributions of Chinese civilization to the world
 Silk industry
 Tea production
 Worlds Famous Great wall of China
 Gun powder
China even until know controls the production of almost everything. Most of the things like gadget,
furniture, weapon, medicine, basic necessities, any many other are made in China. That is why Chinese
economy is getting bigger and its control over the international politics is indeed very impressive.
LESSON 2
MEDIEVAL/MIDDLE AGES
The start of the middle ages was marred by massive invasions
and migrations. Wars were prevalent during this time. As such,
great technology was needed in the field of weaponry,
navigation, mass food and farm production, and health. Most
innovative minds came from this period to control the increase
of trade and commerce among nations.
PRINTING PRESS
Johann Gutenberg was able to invent the printing press, a more
reliable way of printing using a cast type.
This general invention soon evolved to be the mechanical printing press
which was eventually used all over the world. The printing press was
invented to address the need for publishing books that would spread
information to many people at a faster rate.
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MICROSCOPE
Growing population is caused massive migration and urbanization
during the period. More and more people are transferred to polluted
and populated urban areas which resulted in more people getting
sick and needing medical attention. To develop the proper
medicines for the illness, experts must understand the sickness
through investigation that is why the invented this device to
magnify the small things that are invisible to the naked eye.
TELESCOPE
Since the Middle Ages was also known as the age of exploration, the need
for nautical inventions was high. Considering the vast and empty oceans that
separated lands, ship captains needed to see far and wide for them to
navigate or avoid dangers at sea.
WAR WEAPON
Since wars were widespread during the Middle
Ages, great development in the weaponry
technology also occurred. One of the keys to gain
victory during this time are well crafted bows,
spears, even armors which are used in close range
hand-to-hand combat and for open-area battles.
LESSON 3
MODERN TIMES
The booming world population during the nineteenth century
onwards demanded that more goods be produced at a faster rate.
People needed efficient means of transportation to trade more
goods and cover a larger distance. Machines that required animals
to operate must thus be upgrade. Faster and easier means to
communicate and compute should be developed to establish
connections between and among nations. Because of these, the
birth of various industries takes place. However, due to massive
industrialization, the modern times again faced more complicated
problems.
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PASTEURIZATION
As people were able to develop better means of production to meet the needs of the population, food
preservation and food safety became an issue. The challenge to keep manufactured from deteriorating was
greater for dairy products, especially milk, since they usually spoiled faster. If this food is not consumed
immediately after the production, it might lead to food poisoning, diphtheria, and typhoid fever.
Louise Pasture, a French biologist, microbiologist, and chemist, found a way to solve the problem. He
invented pasteurization, the process of heating dairy products to kill the harmful bacteria that allow the m
so spoil faster. Through this process, milk could be stored and consumed for a longer period.
PETROLEUM REFINERY
Samuel M. Kier was able to invent kerosene by refining
petroleum. Kerosene was later on referred to as the
“illuminating oil” because it was used at first to provide
lighting to homes. After some time, it was applied for heating
purpose. Nowadays, kerosene is still present as still used by
many people for powering automobiles, factories, and power
plants, among others.
TELEPHONE
What do you think is the first word ever spoken on the
telephone? It is “Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you”
Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone and it was one
of the most important inventions at that time. But before, the
connection is very limited, the commoners cannot afford to
buy one, and it is not that reliable in terms of stability and
consistency. Nowadays, telephones are one of the necessities
in this fast-changing world. Millennials can no longer live
without it according to time magazine.
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CALCULATOR
Although an earlier version of the calculator had already
been developed, circumstances in the modern times required a
faster way to compute mire complicated equations. The
creation of modern-day calculator did not only pave the way
for easier arithmetic calculations, but also resulted in the
development of more complex processing machines like
computer.
LESSON 4
PHILIPPINE INVENTIONS
Despite being considered a developing country, the Philippines also contributes to the global
advancement of science and technology. We have a group of inventors called the Filipino Inventors Society
which aims to remedy the needs of the consumers by inventing useful machines that could help us in our
everyday living. These inventors are supported by the DOST or the Department of Science and
Technology.
Some of the world renounce Filipino inventions are the following:
 Videoke
 Salamander Amphibious Tricycle
 Salt Lamp
 Medical Incubator
 Mosquito Ovicidal/Larvicidal Trap System
 Ejeepney
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These inventions are being recognized and being used all over the world. According to the Filipino
Inventors Society Secretary Fortunato de la Pena, “we may lack of resources, but our minds are filled with
knowledge” which is true. As a Filipino, we know how to be patient and how to curl when the blanket is
short meaning, we find ways in every problem that we face.
The items discussed in this chapter are only some of the great inventions and developments during the
different time periods. There are still more innovations and discoveries that were made in the course of
history that changed the world.
Answer Me!
IF I WERE AN INVENTOR…
Direction: in this section, you learned that necessity is the mother of inventions and innovations. In this
task, you will address this question: “if you were an inventor, what would you invent?” in
thinking about an invention, make sure that you come up with one that has not been invented yet
but is possible to be invented in the near future. On the space below, sketch a draft of your
invention then answer the questions that follow. Make sure to put some color and life in it.
1. If you are to invent, what would be your invention? Why?
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2. How is your invention similar to or different form existing tools or technologies in terms of
function?
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3. Why is there a need for this invention? How will this invention make the world a better place to live
in?
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Let’s Try This
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
Direction: Answer the following questions and write your answer on the space provided.
1. Give three other major scientific and technological developments in the world (or in the
Philippines) that created a large impact on your daily life
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2. What historical antecedents gave rise to the inventions you mentioned in the first question?
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3. How did the developments in science and technology shape human history? (essay, use at least 5
sentences to explain your answer) 5 pts.
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4. What do you think is the importance of progressive invention? (essay, use at least 5 sentences to
explain your answer) 5 pts.
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5. Give 5 inventions from the past civilizations that are still used these days.
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