6 Chapter 3 Technological Achievements of Greece and Rome 47 The Mastery of Iron 48 Mechanical Contrivances 51 Building 53 Archimedes Screw 56 Other Fields of Technology 57 Transport 58 Military Technology 61 Chapter 4 Agricultural Technology 62 How Agriculture and Domestication Began 63 Early Development 66 Early Agricultural Societies 68 Sumer 68 The Nile Valley 70 Mesoamerica 70 South America 71 North America 72 Agriculture in Ancient Asia 73 Tools and Techniques in China 73 Agricultural Techniques in Japan 76 The Indian Subcontinent 76 Improvements in Agriculture in the West 78
Chapter 5 Military Technology From Precious Metals to Base Metals Antiquity and the Classical Age c 1000 BCE CE 400 Defensive Weaponry Helmets Shields Body Armor Offensive Weaponry The Ax The Spear The Javelin The Sling The Sword The Bow Arrows Mechanical Artillery Recreating Ancient Artillery Fortification Land Transportation Conclusion Glossary For More Information For Further Reading Index 82 83 85 86 88 88 90 92 92 93 94 94 95 95 96 98 99 100 102 105 106 108 110 111 7
8 Introduction The contemporary understanding of technology usually refers to advances in highly technical industries such as those related to computers telecommunications and the Internet Modern technology is con stantly evolving with each new advance making older versions outmoded and eventu ally obsolete To understand the technology of the ancient world as it is discussed in this book the word must be thought of some what differently At its core technology is the application of knowledge to manipulate one’s environment and achieve a specific practical purpose Working from this definition many basic tools that people take for granted today were once revolutionary technologies The earliest technology was developed when human beings realized they could sharpen rocks and bones to improve their usability This led to the creation of sim ple tools such as stone axes and arrow tips Hunting became easier and meat more abun dant which naturally led to a need to preserve the game by cooking it This need was met when humans learned to harness fire Hunting provided food and following game defined the lives and social structure of humans until they developed and refined the principles of agri culture transforming nomadic hunters into farmers Two-wheeled carts were invented in
9 Mesopotamia now Iraq in about 3500 BCE The yoke allowed draft animals to pull plows and wagons Likewise reed boats canoes and wooden rafts made river and coastal trade pos sible Another Mesopotamian creation was the first form of writing inscribing marks in soft clay in a process called cuneiform Now tech nologies could be recorded and more quickly disseminated 4th century BCE harpoons used for fishing
