ENSCI 1100: Science Technology and Society / 1
Name: Johnlyn C. Cabildo
Student number: 19-1641
Inventions and Societies
(Worksheet for Learning Task 2.1)
Introduction
Our goal in this lesson is to learn how science and technology have progressed throughout time, particularly during the ancient times and the
middle ages.
Periods in History (https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldcivilization/chapter/splitting-history/)
Humans began to evolve about seven million years ago, and progressed through four stages of evolution. Research shows that the first
modern humans appeared 200,000 years ago. That’s a lot of time! Historians often split history into periods. Periodization is the process of
categorizing the past into discrete, quantified, named blocks of time in order to facilitate the study and analysis of history. This results in
descriptive abstractions that provide convenient terms for periods of time with relatively stable characteristics.
The common general split between prehistory (before written history), ancient history, Middle Ages, modern history, and contemporary history
(history within the living memory) is a Western division of the largest blocks of time agreed upon by Western historians and representing the
Western point of view. For example, the history of Asia or Africa cannot be neatly categorized following these periods. However, we shall adopt
these periods in this course.
The ancient world covers the period between 3500 BC to 500 AD, the Middle Ages was from 500 to 1500 AD, while the modern period began
from 1500 AD (http://www.essential-humanities.net/history-overview/world-history-timeline/).
ENSCI 1100: Science Technology and Society / 2
Activity I
1. Please download “World History: Cultures, States, and Societies to 1500” from https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/history-textbooks/2/.
2. Fill in the table below with the necessary information that may be obtained from the book (or other sources in some cases). Look at the
item in the “Invention/Discovery” column. Go to the page indicated. Read about the item. Learn about what it is and how it is used (you
may consult other resources if necessary). Browse the book for information about the civilization that developed the item to understand
why the item/s needed to be developed. In the 2nd column below the name of invention/discovery, you can add a picture of the
invention/discovery. In the last column, try to justify the invention of the item/s.
Civilization/ Period in
history
Invention/Discovery
Description of the item and/or how it works
Why do you think the
invention/discovery was important for
civilization/society?
Sumerians/Ancient
Cuneiform (p. 29)
“a written script of wedge shaped marks;”
“styluses made of reed to write on clay
tablets that were dried and could be stored;”
used for keeping “written records describing
The cuneiform was essential for
communication and record keeping.
The Sumerians needed it to manage
the affairs of the city (financial
Cultures, States, and Societies to 1500]
stories, poems and prayers, ensuring
generation.
supplying water for their settlement.[Source:
Tigris and the Euphrates to protect their
