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Questions and Answers
What was bitumen primarily used for in ancient road construction?
What numeral system is the sexagesimal system based on?
Who was the ruler during the Babylonian Empire's first rise to power?
Which biblical figure is known as an 'enemy of God' in the context of the Neo Babylonian Empire?
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What is the Tower of Babel thought to be inspired by?
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What featured construction is attributed to Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon?
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What significant contribution to geography did the Babylonians make?
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What purpose did the Egyptian pyramids primarily serve?
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What is considered one of the earliest forms of civilization?
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What was the primary purpose of the Sumerian invention of wheels?
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What writing system was developed by the Sumerians?
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Which construction material was commonly used for building in Uruk City?
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What engineering achievement managed water distribution and flood control in Sumer?
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What significant architectural structure is known as the 'mountain of god' in Sumer?
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Which of the following innovations were used to enhance agricultural productivity in Sumer?
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Sailboats played a crucial role in Sumerian society primarily for what purpose?
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What innovation is credited to the ancient Greeks that contributed to mass production?
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Which of the following was a primary function of the Roman ACTA DIURNA?
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What was the original purpose of the magnetic compass developed by the Chinese?
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What type of architecture did the Romans innovate upon from the Greeks?
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Which early form of book structure involved stacking papyrus to create pages?
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What type of scientific and technical contributions were the Romans known for?
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What was the primary use of acupuncture in ancient China?
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What is often regarded as the most significant building accomplishment of the ancient Greeks?
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What significant contribution did John Dalton make in the early 19th century?
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Which scientist is credited with discovering radioactivity in 1896?
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What invention is Karl Benz associated with in 1885?
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Which advancement in communication technology was invented by Samuel F.B. Morse?
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In what year was the Model T introduced to the world by Henry Ford?
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What essential technology was created during the 20th century related to computing?
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Which technology was developed by Intel in the 20th century?
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What is the primary function of blockchain technology?
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What purpose did the seismograph serve in ancient China?
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Which important Chinese invention allowed for the export of a well-known beverage?
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The Great Wall of China was primarily constructed for which reason?
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What was the ultimate goal of Chinese alchemists who developed gunpowder?
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What significant achievement is Johannes Gutenberg known for?
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Which innovation is attributed to Charlemagne during the Medieval Period?
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How is the Medieval Period often characterized?
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What agricultural technique was improved during Charlemagne's time?
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Study Notes
Aesthetics
- People started decorating themselves, in addition to their surroundings and infrastructure
Africa (1,000,000 BCE)
- Homo Erectus used tools made of stone and antlers
Europe (750,000 BCE)
- Homo Erectus used fire
Sumerians (5,000 - 1,750 BC)
- Sumerians were the world’s first civilization
- Sumerians made advancements in:
- architecture
- agriculture
- engineering
- mathematics
- medicine
- Sumerians located in Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Cuneiform (5,000 - 1,750 BC)
- First writing system using word pictures and triangular symbols
- Symbols carved on clay using wedge instruments
- Allowed Sumerians to record their everyday lives
Uruk City (5,000 - 1,750 BC)
- The world’s first true city
- Built from mud, clay, and reeds that were baked in the sun
- Bricks used to make houses and walls for protection
The Great Ziggurat of Ur (5,000 - 1,750 BC)
- Also known as the mountain of god
- Built using sun-baked bricks
Irrigation & Dikes (5,000 - 1,750 BC)
- Brought water to farmland and controlled flooding from rivers
- Major engineering achievement
Sail Boats (5,000 - 1,750 BC)
- Main mode of transportation
- Sumerians used them to discover new lands
- Facilitated the exchange of culture, information, and technology
Wheels (5,000 - 1,750 BC)
- Used for farming and food processing
- Enabled farmers to mill grains more quickly and efficiently
Plow (5,000 - 1,750 BC)
- Used to cultivate the earth more efficiently
- Mass-produced food without excessive effort
Roads (5,000 - 1,750 BC)
- Made from sun-baked bricks
- Bitumen (similar to asphalt) was used to smooth roads
- Particularly useful during rainy seasons
Sexagesimal (5,000 - 1,750 BC)
- Also known as base 60 or sexagenary
- A numerical system with sixty as its base
- Passed down to ancient Babylonians
Babylonians (Circa 2,300 BC)
- Known for their skills in building, engineering, and architecture
The Babylonian Empire (Circa 2,300 BC)
- Rose to power under King Hammurabi (1792 -1750 BC)
- Lost power after his death
- Re-established by a new line of kings between 626 BC – 539 BC
Neo Babylonian Empire (Circa 2,300 BC)
- Most famous King was Nebuchadnezzar II
- He is seen as an 'enemy of God’ in scriptures
Tower of Babel (Circa 2,300 BC)
- The Bible states that Sumerians “understood one another’s speech”
- Believed by some scholars to have been inspired by a real ziggurat temple honoring Marduk
The Hanging Gardens (Circa 2,300 BC)
- A large system of terraced trees, shrubs, flowers, and waterfalls
- One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
- Location and existence debated – evidence suggests location in Nineveh, not Babylon
The Walls of Babylon (Circa 2,300 BC)
- First encircled by Hammurabi
- Nebuchadnezzar II added three rings of walls, 40 feet high
- Walls were so thick they could support chariot races
Maps (Circa 2,300 BC)
- First map created on a clay tablet
- Covered a region of Babylonia
- Used for trade routes, military campaigns, hunting, and exploration
Egyptians (Circa 5,000 – 330 BC)
- Constructed pyramids as tombs for Pharaohs
- Egyptian wisemen separated scientific ideas from superstition
- Developed logical explanations for natural phenomena
Alarm Clock (Circa 700 - 320 BC)
- Egyptians used water (or stones/sand) that fell into drums to create a sound
Water Mills (Circa 700 - 320 BC)
- Considered a major contribution to the world by the Greeks
- Used for milling grains, allowing mass production of rice, cereals, and flour
Parthenon (Circa 700 - 320 BC)
- Temple built by the Greeks to dedicate to Athena, the patroness of Athens
Romans (Circa 27 BC - 476 BC)
- Considered to be the strongest political and social entity in the West
- Limited contribution to theoretical science, but excelled in practical applications
- Imitative rather than original culture
Acta Diurna (Circa 27 BC - 476 BC)
- The first newspapers, engraved on metal or stone
- Publicly displayed
- With the invention of paper, became available to the Roman population
Bound Books (Codex) (Circa 27 BC - 476 BC)
- Julius Caesar started the tradition of stacking papyrus to form pages
- Covered to protect the contents
- Animal skin was often used
Roman Numerals (Circa 27 BC - 476 BC)
- Developed by the Romans to manage high calculation requirements
- Due to increasing communication and trade
Roman Architecture (Circa 27 BC - 476 BC)
- Continuation of Greek architecture, with adaptations
- Roman architects innovatively redesigned old patterns
- Examples: cathedrals, basilicas, aqueducts, coliseums, amphitheaters
Chinese (Circa 2000 BC – 220 AD)
- Considered the oldest civilization in Asia
- Ancient Chinese scientists and engineers made advancements in various disciplines
Magnetic Compass (Circa 2000 BC – 220 AD)
- Developed by the Chinese, but not for navigation
- Used for Feng Shui
Acupuncture (Circa 2000 BC – 220 AD)
- Part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
- Used to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease
Seismograph (Circa 2000 BC – 220 AD)
- Developed by the Chinese to detect earthquakes
Silk (Circa 2000 BC – 220 AD)
- Chinese invented harvesting silk from silkworms to create paper and clothing
- Opened China to the outside world and facilitated cultural, economic, and scientific exchange
Tea Production (Circa 2000 BC – 220 AD)
- An unknown inventor created a machine to shred tea leaves
- China became known for tea exports alongside silk
Great Wall of China (Circa 2000 BC – 220 AD)
- Constructed to keep out foreign invaders and control borders
- Divided China from the rest of the world
Gun Powder (Circa 2000 BC – 220 AD)
- Developed by alchemists to achieve immortality
- Created by mixing charcoal, sulfur, and potassium nitrate
- Instead of creating an elixir, a black powder that generated heat and gas
The Medieval Period (Circa 470 AD -1450 AD)
- Also known as the “Dark ages” due to limited written records
- Period of war requiring advancements in weaponry, navigation, food production, and health
Charlemagne (Circa 470 AD -1450 AD)
- Emperor of Western Europe
- Established a scholastic tradition
- Inventions:
- Vertical windmills
- Spectacles
- Mechanical clocks
- Improved water mills
- Gothic style architecture
- Three-field crop rotation
Printing Press (Circa 470 AD -1450 AD)
- Johannes Gutenberg invented the first printing press using movable type
- Produced the Gutenberg Bible
- Used wooden machines to extract juices and metal impressions of letters
19th Century
- John Dalton:
- Atomic theory (1803)
- Studied colorblindness
- Dmitri Mendeleev:
- Formulated the Periodic Table of Elements
- Hermann von Helmholtz:
- Law of the conservation of Energy (1847)
- Invented the Ophthalmoscope (1851)
- James Clerk Maxwell:
- Showed light is an electromagnetic wave (1873)
- Henri Becquerel:
- Discovered radioactivity (1896)
- Marie Curie and Pierre Curie:
- Discovered Radium (1898)
- Joseph Thomson:
- Discovered Electron (1897)
19th Century
- Hans Christian Oersted:
- Showed an electric current in a wire caused a compass needle to move (1819)
- Michael Faraday:
- Showed a magnet could produce electricity
- Invented the Dynamo (1831)
- Samuel F.B. Morse:
- Invented the electric telegraph
- Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler
- Made the first cars (1885 and 1886)
The 20th Century
- Personal computer created
- Intel developed the Microprocessor
- Apple was introduced by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak
- Internet was created (ARPANET, Advanced Research Projects Agency Network)
The 20th Century
- Henry Ford mass-produced cars
- Model T introduced in 1908
- Designed to be affordable, simple, and durable
The 21st Century
- Blockchain:
- Chronological database of information stored in chained blocks
- Prevents forgery and theft
The 21st Century
- Bitcoin’s blockchain is used in a decentralized manner
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Description
Test your knowledge on the beginnings of aesthetics and the rise of ancient civilizations, including the Sumerians and their innovations in architecture and writing systems. Explore significant developments from early human history and the importance of their environmental adaptations.
