Block 1 Unit 2 Science in the Ancient

Block 1, Unit 2 - Science in the Ancient World Ø Primitive Human society consists of the “Stone Age” as well as the “Bronze Age” Ø In the primitive human society, initially the human were hunters and gatherers and they developed specialized tools and implements made out of stones which were passed on in that primitive society. Societies formed on the basis of the food they eat are called “totems”. Ø Scientists studying ancient human societies are called archaeologists. Ø Materials produced during the stone age were master tools out of stones, clothes with skin of animals and from fibre from plants, fire, cookery and domestication of animals. The social life was the usage of language for communication, rituals, magic, religion and caste. Ø So, the origin of science from the primitive human society includes rational mechanics, observation, description and classification Ø Increase in population and climatic changes forced the primitive human beings to look for other means of production, thus ending the stone age. Ø The next period of human evolution is the bronze age which bought about Agriculture and Civilization.

Ø With cultivation human beings stopped dependency on nature for food. Accordingly between 4000 BC and 1500 BC four great civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China came into existence in the wider valleys of Nile, Tigris and the Euphrates, Indus and Hwang Ho. Ø Bronze age led to the development of cities and changes in social organization. Scientific and technical advancements in the bronze age include use of metals like copper ore, its alloy bronze, gold, silver etc in making tools, ornaments & vessels Ø Transportation including trade through sea on goods like spices, ivory, silver , pearls, textiles etc flourished in all these four civilizations. Ø Quantitative science like, weights, measures, standards, numbers, writing, use of balances, addition, subtraction, geometry, angles, astronomy, making of calendars etc flourished during this period. The Lunar years was fixed at 354 days. Ø The knowledge of medicine to heal wounds, fractures, dislocations was practiced. Chemistry helped them in the purification of metals from ores, various elements in nature, to know about paints enamels etc. Ø To sum up the bronze age led to the development of various sciences like

Ø Harappa and Mohenjadaro were the great cities of Indus Valley civilization. The civilization was well planned, with multistoried buildings made of bricks with space utilization and geometry. The civilization extended upto Haryana in the east and to the south till Gujarat Ø The geometrical theorems and axioms were explained in a text called “sulvasutras” around 600 -350 BC. The sulvasutras contain an alternate of the Pythogoras theorem (582 -500 BC) which says that ‘the diagonal of a rectangle produces areas, which its length and breadth produces separately”. The value of square root of 2 was 1. 4142516 as per sulvasutra. Ø Bronze tools , containers, ornaments, seals, toys, artifacts etc were prominently used in the Indus valley civilization which were proved in the archeological survey Ø The Bronze age declined due to the emergence of two distinct classes the haves and have nots which was due to the unequal distribution of the produce. The dominant group of priest kings, ‘the thinkers’ isolated from the farmers and the urban crafts men ‘the doers’ Ø In the attempt of the priest kings to consolidate power, the rift between the two increased leading to stagnation in society and science. The was followed by increase in population and barbarian invasions.