Pre-Columbian Science and Technology

• Science and Technology evidences from 1500 B.C – A.D 1500 in the New World are pre-Columbian.

Olmec Civilization

• The Olmecs were the first great Mesoamerican civilization.
• They thrived from about 1200 to 400 B.C.
• The Olmec civilization was located along the southern Gulf Coast of Mexico, mainly in present-day Veracruz and Tabasco.
• "Olmec" means "rubber people" in Nahuatl, the Aztec language.
• The Olmecs constructed city-temple complexes at San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan, La Venta, Tres Zapotes, and Laguna de los Cerros.
• Evidence suggests that the Olmec practiced human sacrifice and cannibalism.
• Olmecs traded Obsidian, ceramics, jade, serpentine, mica, rubber, pottery, feathers, and polished mirrors of limenite and magnetite.
• Monuments and major pieces of Olmec art include masks and figurines.
• Olmecs cultivated cacao, rubber, and salt.

Mayan Civilization

• The ancient Mayans were indigenous people that lived in present-day Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.
• The Mayans had scientific achievements in astronomy, engineering, medicine, and mathematics.
• The Mayans had great progress in agriculture and technology.

Mayan Astronomy

• The Mayans tracked the movement of stars and planets to accurately predict celestial events, such as eclipses.
• Venus was the most important astronomical object to the Mayans.

Mayan Calendar

• The Mayans developed an accurate calendar.
• The ritual calendar that developed in Mesoamerica used a 260-day count and gave each day a name, which were represented by symbols.

Mayan Language

• The Mayan written language consisted of about 800 glyphs or symbols.
• Each glyph represented a word or syllable, and could be combined in infinite ways.

Mayan Architecture

• The Mayans built elaborate temples and great cities without essential metal tools.
• Mayans produced rubber products.

Aztec Civilization

• The Aztecs established the city of Tenochtitlan, in present-day Mexico City, in 1325 A.D.
• Tenochtitlan was the capital and center of the Aztec Empire.
• The capital was conquered by the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes in 1520.
• The Aztecs saw an eagle perched on a cactus on the southwestern border of Lake Texcoco, and built their settlement there.
• Early on, the Aztecs constructed causeways and canals in Tenochtitlan for transportation.
• The Aztecs expanded their empire through warfare.
• Aztecs made human sacrifices in elaborate rituals to appease their gods.

Aztec Technology

• Aztec canoes were dugout canoes, and were used to transport goods throughout canals, lakes, and waterways.
• Astronomy was an important part of the Aztec calendar
• The Aztec calendar was heavily based on their Gods.
• The Aztec calendar consisted of a ritual Tonapohualli of a 260-day cycle based on astronomical observations.
• The 260-day cycle calendar was broken down into units (sometimes called trecenas) of 20 days with a name, symbol, deity, and augury.
• A 20-day group ran with another group of 13 numbered days simultaneously.
• The Xiuhpohualli calendar signified when to hold ceremonies and festivals, and was divided into 18 groups of 20 days, each with its own festival.
• Ritual and civil cycles returned to the same alignment every 52 years.
• Aztecs developed various medicines, such as ointments and drinks.
• Aztec technology has been recorded in the Badianus Manuscript, created by Aztec artists in 1552.

Inca Civilization

• The Inca Civilization flourished in the Andean region of South America, from the early 15th century A.D until its conquest by Spaniards in the 1530s.
• Machu Picchu is one of the most famous archeological sites, and was built as a retreat for an Incan emperor.
• "Machu Picchu" in the Quechua language means "Old Peak" or "Old Mountain”.
• The Machu Picchu compound contains more than 100 separate flights of stairs.

Tawantinsuyu

• Tawantinsuyu was the "Land of the Four Corners,” the largest empire of Inca
• It originated at the city of Cuzco, in today’s Peru.
• A system of roads stretched to almost 25,000 miles to support empire.
• Quechua was the official language.

Regions of Tawantinsuyu

• Chinchaysuyu(north region) contains agricultural region.
• Territory covered much of modern-day Peru, Ecuador, and part of Colombia.
• Antisuyu (east region) in the upper Amazon with heavy rainfall, high humidity, and lush vegetation.
• Contisuyu (west region) road to coast. Vertical slopes rise from sea level to 19,000 feet (5,800 meters) in altitude. Has peaks, volcanoes, and deep gorges.
• Collasuyu (south region) means "high plain."
• Collasuyu extensive grassland was ideal for llama and alpaca herding, and was a source of salt, potatoes, gold, silver, and copper.
• There are various consumable goods, some of which were maize (corn), dried llama, leaves of the coca plant, alcohol, potatoes, quinoa, beans and chili peppers.
• Inca performed mummification for November funerary rites, people tried to feed the mummies of their ancestors.
• Cumpi textiles were reserved for the Inca and upper class, and came from llama, alpaca, vicuna wool, and cotton.
• Incas objects were made out of gold and silver.
• Gold was used to make ritual objects, trinkets, and jewelry. Combinations of gold and silver, and copper called tumbaga.
• The Incas constructed buildings using stones fitted together.
• The Inca didn't use mortar, and spaces between stones are so tight a razor blade fits.
• The Incas essentially used a lunisolar calendar system
• 2 calendars were maintained, one solar and another lunar
• There was about 11 short days from a full 365-day year with 12 lunar months.
• Equinoxes, solstices, and Venus cycles are observed.
• The Inca used Quipu as mnemonic devices to record numerical data, history, and literature.
• Performed successful skull surgeries, involving cutting holes to alleviate inflammation due to head wounds
• Physical measures used by the Inca were based upon human body parts.
• Inca used fingers, thumb to forefinger distance, palms, cubits, and wingspans as measurement units.
• Thatkiy or thatki, or one pace was the most basic unit of distance.
• Inca weapons included bronze/bone spears, two-handed wooden swords, clubs with stone and spike head and slings and stones,.

The State of Science and Technology During The Middle Ages

• Medieval times, Middle Ages, and Dark Ages generally refer to the period of time from 500 to 1500 A.D.
• This was the time from the fall of the Roman Empire and Ottoman Empire.
• There were major technological advances in the Medieval period.

Military Technologies of the Middle Ages

• The counterweight trebuchet was a siege weapon that used counterweights and hurled huge stones.
• It was first used in the eastern Mediterranean basin.
• The longbow, with massed disciplinary archery.
• The English used the longbow against the French during the Hundred Years’ War (1337–1453).
• Strong and accurate, the longbow resulted in the end of the medieval knight class.
• A steek crossbow was the first hand-held mechanical weapon.
• The European innovation of the crossbow came with several different enhancement tools to assist in draw strength.
• Complete full plate armour showed from the end of the 14th century
• Armour chain was made from thousands of metal rings
• Armour was also a long cloak and called a hauberk
• Considered best in protection, and showed skills during making metal

Other Inventions in the Middle Ages

• The blast furnace for creating Cast iron first show in Middle Europe, around 1150.
• Hourglass dependable, affordable, and accurate measure of time.
• First documented medieval innovation in Siena, Italy.
• The vertical windmill is a pivot able post mill efficiently grinds grain and drains water.
• Spectacles are lenses help far people to see
• Earliest chess game was from India in the 6th century and spread through Persia to Muslim world
• The games evolved to its in 15th C.

Mirrors

• Created during 1180s in by said "Remove lead and way behind the glass and way

Other Inventions

• Flemish painter Jan Van Eyck that created used stabilized in Paintings 1420
• It is with a by fall.
• The was on in Northern.

Agricultural Innovations of the Middle Ages

• The heavy wheeled plough allowed cultivation of rich, heavy and wet soils of Northern Europe and advance their practices
• The horse collar gave them strength to heavy ploughs, horseshoes to terrain

Innovations of the Middle Ages

• The artesian made of the that the hole without it.
• The cart helped made in
• During the 1000s the 1100s were made in the death in the Black
• In the Ragasa 40 day
• Spinning with in