Development of Science in Mesoamerica
Entire area of
Central-
America
from
Southern
Mexico up to
the border of
South
America.
Maya civilization
Lasted for approx. 2000 years.
Incorporated their advanced understanding of astronomy into their temples
and religious structures.
Predicting eclipses
Astrological cycles in planting and harvesting
They built observatories so their priests could watch the stars and plan the
best time for festivals, religious rituals and cultural celebrations.
Hydraulics- sophisticated water ways to supply waters to different
communities
Weaving Looms- looms for weaving cloth
Mica- rainbow glittery paints made from the mineral
Mayan Hieroglyphics
Mayans were the first civilization to use a writing system
The Maya hieroglyphic writing is arguably one of the most visually striking
writing systems of the world. It is also very complex, with hundreds of
unique signs or glyphs in the form of humans, animals, supernatural, objects,
and abstract designs.
The Inca Civilization
• largest empire in pre-Columbian America, and possibly the largest empire in
the world in the early 16th century
• flourished in ancient Peru between c. 1400 and 1533 CE
1. Roads paved with stones
2. Stone buildings that surmounted earthquakes
3. Irrigation system and technique for storing water
4. Calendar with 12 months
5. First suspension bridge
6. Quipu
7. Inca textiles
The Aztec Civilization
• The Aztecs were an advanced and prosperous civilization who built
beautiful and sophisticated cities.
• The highly developed empire had an elaborate leadership and society that
consisted of four classes.
Nobles (highest in power)
Commoners (the majority of population, were mostly farmers)
Serfs (worked land for the nobles)
Slaves (consisted of those captured and indebted who couldn’t pay)
Contributions of Aztec
1. Mandatory education- their children are mandated to get education,
regardless of their social class, gender or age.
2. Chocolates – cacao beans- developed chocolate during their time, in Mayan
Culture they used it as currency. They valued cacao beans and made it part
as their tribute to their gods.
3. Antispasmodic medication- could prevent spasms and relax muscles
4. Chinampa - irrigation systems- for agricultural farming, divided into two
rectangular areas surrounded by canals.
5. Aztec calendar- enabled them to plan their activities and rituals
6. Invention of the canoe- a light narrow boat used for travelling to water
systems.
365 days calendar
260 days ritual calendar
Calculate as end of the world December 12, 2012
Development of Science in Asia
India
• Known for manufacturing iron and in metallurgical works
• Medicine – Ayurveda
• Mathematics
– Tried to standardize measurement of length to a high degree of accuracy.
• ARYABHATA
– first of the major first of the major mathematician- astronomers from
the classical age of Indian mathematics and Indian astronomy.
– Aryabhatiya:
• place value system
• Approximation of π
• Trigonometry
– Solar and lunar eclipses were scientifically explained by Aryabhata.
He states that the Moon and planets shine by reflected sunlight.
• BRAHMAGUPTA
– Brāhmasphuṭasiddhānta
– defined the properties of the number zero, both as a placeholder and a
decimal digit
Suggested that gravity was a force of attraction
Sursuta Samhita- Ancient text that describes the different surgical and other
medical procedures from ancient India.
Madhava of Sangamagrama- founder of Mathematical Analysis
China
• Traditional medicine – acupuncture
• Compass, papermaking, gunpowder, printing tools
• Astronomy – heavenly bodies, lunar calendars
Inventions of Chinese
Compass
Gunpowder
Papermaking
Printing tools
Iron plough
Wheelbarrow
Propellers
Development of Science in Middle East
• Dominantly occupied by Muslims
• Greater value on science experiments
• Hasan Ibn al-Haytham
– was an Arab mathematician, astronomer, and physicist of the Islamic
Golden Age
– Father of Optics
• Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi
– concept of the algorithm in mathematics
– Algebra from al-jabr (Hisab al-Jabr wa-al- Muqabala)
– calendars, calculating true positions of the sun, moon and planets,
tables of sines and tangents, spherical astronomy, astrological tables
Development of Science in Africa
• Ancient Egyptian Civilization
• Development of geometry
• Center of alchemy- medieval forerunner of Chemistry
• Studied human anatomy and pharmacology
• Astronomy
• Mathematics
• 3 types of Calendars- Lunar, Solar, and Stellar
• Lembobo Bone- may have been used for multiplication, division and simple
mathematical calculation.