STS 02 -

INTELLECTUAL
REVOLUTION
PART 2 –
CRADLES OF EARLY SCIENCE

By: Engr. Evelyn V. Almazan

CRADLES OF EARLY SCIENCE

DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE
IN MESOAMERICA
Maya, Aztec, and Inca Civilizations

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Mesoamerica = Mexico & Central America
Some of the greatest civilizations in the
Americas developed in Mesoamerica
where the Maya and Aztec people lived
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How did people first get to the Americas?

Theory #1 = Bering land bridge

Humans migrated into North America

from Asia by crossing over a land bridge
between Alaska and Siberia…

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How did people first get to the Americas?

Theory #2 = Coastal migration

Humans migrated to the Americas by
crossing the seas, most likely the
Pacific Ocean, and settling along the
western coasts of the Americas…

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Olmec 1300 B.C.-
The first civilization of Mesoamerica

They were located in the hot and swampy lowlands

along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico south of
Veracruz.

They had large cities that were centers for religious

rituals.

They carved colossal stone heads

They may have been to represent

their ancestors or gods.
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Teotihuacán
Was the first major city in Mesoamerica
Arose around 250 B.C. and collapsed about 800 A.D.

May have had as many as 200,000 inhabitants at its height.

Has a main thoroughfare, known as the Avenue of the Dead,

had two main temples.

The Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon.

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 Mayan civilization
• Located in the Mexican and Central American rain forest
• Represented by Chichén Itzá
• Group of city-states ruled by a king
• Economy based on agriculture and trade
• Polytheistic religion—Pyramids

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Yucatán Peninsula
-Maya were found in the Yucatan Peninsula and Part of
Guatemala

Maya: Between 300 and 900 A.D.

-Flourished during this time. We do not know why it fell into
decline. The Maya abandoned their cities, we do not know
why.

Political and Social Structure

Cities-Were built around a central pyramid
Pyramid-Was topped with a shrine to
the gods.
City-States-Each governed by a
hereditary ruling class Tikal, Guatemala
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Mayan Kings
-Ruled the Mayan Kingdom
They claimed they were divine
Were assisted by nobles and
a class of scribes
Made special blood sacrifices to
maintain the kingdom.
People
-Included townspeople, skilled artisans, officials, and
merchants.
Many people were peasant farmers who worked on
terraced hillsides farming.
Men did the fighting and hunting, women made
cornmeal and were responsible for homemaking and
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raising children.
Religion : The Maya were Polytheistic.
They believed that all of life was in the hands of a
divine power. They were responsible for pleasing the
gods.
Their gods were ranked in order of importance, the
Jaguar was the god of night and was seen as evil.
The Maya practiced human sacrifice to appease
their gods. Human sacrifice was also used to mark
special occasions. When a king ascended to the
throne war captives were tortured and beheaded to
mark the occasion.

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Accomplishments
Language
The Maya developed an independent
Hieroglyphic language.

The Spanish destroyed most of the

Mayan writings. They were not seen as
having any value. Their language was
not translated until the 20th century.

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- Famous as one of the world’s
first civilizations to use a
writing known as the Mayan
hieroglyphics.
- Skilled in mathematics and
created a number system
based on the numeral 20.
Calendar
The Maya developed a calendar that
had two different parts.
It had a solar calendar with 365 days,
divided into 18 months with 20 days
each with 5 extra days at the end.
A Lunar calendar and a Calendar
based on the movement of the Planet
Venus. This was a sacred calendar
with 260 days and 13 weeks of 20
days each.
The Mayan calendar says our present
world was created in 3114 B.C. and
the current world will end on
December 23 2012 A.D.
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What happened to the Maya?
The Maya abandoned many of their cities around 900 A.D.
Archaeologists DO NOT KNOW WHY Maya civilization
declined.
Theory: Around 900A.D. there was a severe drought. Many
died due to starvation others migrated away.

…more than 2 million Maya people live in Guatemala and southern

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Mexico today.
 Aztec civilization
• Located in arid valley in central Mexico
• Represented by Tenochtitlan
• Ruled by an emperor
• Economy based on agriculture & tribute from conquered
peoples
• Polytheistic religion with pyramids/rituals

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The Aztec began c. 12th century A.D.
Began a long migration that brought them into the Valley of
Mexico. They established their capital city at Tenochtitlán.

Tenochtitlán
An Aztec legend said that when the people found their new
home they would see an eagle perched on a cactus holding
a snake. They saw this in lake Texcoco.

Their city was built up on rafts made from reeds and covered
with dirt. They were called chinampas. Present-Day
Mexico-City is built on top of this city. The original was
destroyed by the Spanish.

Lake Texcoco-Swampy lake that was the home of the

capital city. Tenochtitlán means the Place of the Prickly
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Pear Cactus.
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Political and Social Structure
By 1500 there were about 4 million people in the Aztec
Empire ruled by an Aztec Emperor. He was the supreme
leader of the people. He claimed that he was divine.

People
Made up of commoners, indentured workers,
and slaves. Most people were farmers, but they also
traded with people in the surrounding areas.

Men were to be the warriors, while a woman’s role was to

be in the home. Women were allowed to own and inherit
property and enter contracts. Women wove textiles and
raised children. They could also be priestesses.

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Women wove textiles
Religion

Had a polytheistic religion based on warfare.

Huitzilopochtli - their chief god; god of the
sun. The Aztec offered him human sacrifice
to give him strength to battle the forces of
darkness each night so that he could rise
each morning.

Quetzalcoatl - The feathered Serpent; He

believed he had left the valley of Mexico and
promised to return in triumph.

Human Sacrifice
Each Aztec city contained a pyramid where
They practiced human sacrifice as a 25

way to postpone the end of the world.

Destruction of the Aztec
The subjugation of the people of the Aztec
Empire bred hatred and discontent among the
people. When the Spanish arrived they did
not have a difficult time finding allies to fight
the Aztec.
Hernán Cortés 1519
Spanish Conquistador who came to the valley of Mexico in
1519 with 550 soldiers and 16 horses. He was at first
greeted by the Aztec Emperor Montezuma (Moctezuma).
The Spanish later kidnapped the Emperor and made him a
puppet. The people rebelled and the Emperor was killed.
The Spanish barely escaped. The Spanish returned several
months later. Many of the natives had fallen ill with
Smallpox. Cortés and his allies destroyed the Aztec capital
and subjugated the Aztec people. 26
 Incan civilization
• Located in the Andes Mountains of
South America
• Represented by Machu Picchu
• Ruled by an emperor
• Economy based on high-altitude
agriculture
• Polytheistic religion
• Road system
Late 1300's Inca
The Inca started as a small group
that were located in Cuzco. They
did not begin to become powerful
until after the fall of the Moche of
Peru. Pachacuti - Unified the Inca 27

and established the Inca Empire.

Organization of the Empire

Incan state was built on war.

The conquered peoples were all taught the
same language.
Each region was appointed a governor who
answered to the Emperor.

Road System: 24, 800 miles of Road

The Inca built roads to unify their people.
Roads made travel and communication
throughout the empire more efficient.

There were rest houses and storage depots

along with bridges to span ravines and
waterways. 29
bridges to
span ravines
and
waterways
 Culture

Were required to marry from

within their own social group.
Women were expected to live at
home, the only alternative was to
be a priestess.

Most people were farmers, they

also herded llamas and alpacas.

Quipu-A system of knotted

strings used by the Inca to keep
records.

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 AGRICULTURE
Technology for
agriculture farming
which the land is
divided into
rectangular areas
and surrounded by
canals
canoe – light narrow
boat used for traveling
in water systems
Great Builders
They had great buildings made of
stone held without mortar. Their
roads also show their ability as
great builders.

Machu Picchu
City built at 8,000 ft above sea
level.

Urubamba River
River below Machu Picchu

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 Machu Picchu

Urubamba River
Defeat

The Spanish arrived in 1531 where

Francisco Pizarro Spanish Conquistador led
a band of 180 men with superior weapons.
The Inca, like the Aztec, were devastated by
a disease, smallpox, devastated the
population.

Civil War
After the death of the Inca Emperor a civil war broke out,
Pizarro took advantage and defeated the people.

Pizarro and his men established Lima as the new capital of

the Spanish Colony in 1535.
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Achievements of Mayan
Mayan knowledge & understanding about celestial bodies was advanced for their
time
Have measuring time – calendar
Technology for growing different crops
Build elaborate cities using ordinary machineries and tools
Hydraulic and sophisticated waterways
Built looms for weaving, produced rubber
Use writing system – Mayan hieroglyphics
Number system based on numeral 20

Achievements of Aztec
Mandatory education
Chocolates – In Mayan culture, they used it as currency
Antispasmodic medication – prevent muscle spasm and
relax muscles
Their city was built up on rafts made from reeds and covered
with dirt called Chinampa;
Technology for agriculture farming which the land
is divided into rectangular areas and surrounded by canals
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Aztec Calendar
Innovation of canoe – light narrow boat used for traveling
 DEVELOPMENT ST in ASIA
China, India and Middle East stood out in the field of science, technology and
mathematics:
INDIA:
• Know for manufacturing iron (best) and in
metallurgical works
• Famous for medicine – Ayurveda, a system of
traditional medicine (2500BC) is still practiced
as alternative medicine
• Notable in field of Astronomy – developed
theories in configuration of universe, 360 days
with 12 equal parts of 30 days each;
 DEVELOPMENT ST in ASIA
Cont’d. INDIA

• Known for mathematics; appeared

in Indus Valley Civilization which
tried to standardized measurement
of length to a high degree of
accuracy and designed a ruler – the
Mohenjodaro ruler; introduced
trigonometric functions, algebraic
algorithms (Aryabhata 476 – 550);
Brahmagupta suggested gravity as
a force of attraction, use zero both
as a place holder and a decimal
digit, Hindu-Arabic numerals
Mohenjo-Daro ruler has accuracy within 0.13 millimeters.
 DEVELOPMENT ST in ASIA
Cont’d…China, India and Middle East…

CHINA: have influenced Korea,

Japan, Philippines, Vietnam,
Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar

• Known for traditional

medicine; discovered
various medical properties
and uses different plants
and animals to cure human
illness; acupuncture
 DEVELOPMENT ST in ASIA
Cont’d…China….

• Technology: developed compass, paper making,

gunpowder, printing tools; iron plough, wheelbarrow
and propeller; developed a different design models of
bridges, dry dock facility and the first seismological
detector, thus made them prepared for natural
calamities
• Astronomy – recorded supernova, lunar & sola
eclipses, comets.

Accdg to Needham(1986) religion & philosophical

framework of Chinese intellectuals made them unable to
accept the ideas of law of nature.
 DEVELOPMENT ST in ASIA
Cont’d…China, India and Middle East…

MIDDLE EAST: dominantly occupied by Muslims; 13th Century is the

Golden Age of Islam; With common Arabic language, access to
Greek text, near India contributory/provide scholars knowledge to
create innovations through science experiments.

• Ibnal-Haytham, Father of Optics, proof of theory of light

• Ibn Musa al Khwarizmi – algebra algorithm; al-jabr root word;
• Refined Arabic Numeric System by introducing decimal point
notation
• Jabir ibn Hayyan “Father of Cemistry”
• Ibn Sina’s notable works in medicine (The Canon of Medicine)
were used as standard medicinal text in both Muslim & Europe
in 17th century
Development of Science in Africa
 DEVELOPMENT ST AFRICA
AFRICA – blessed with natural and
mineral resources
Rules in Geometry was developed to preserve
the layout and ownership of farmland of the
Egyptians living along the Nile River
(rectilinear structure, the post of lintel
architecture)
Egyptian pyramids, early dams to divert water
from the Nile River proof of advanced
civilization
Egypt is center of alchemy-study human
anatomy, pharmacology. The applied
diagnosis, treatment and prognosis (medical
examination procedure) for treatment of
diseases.
Astronomy is famous in Africa. They used 3
types of calendar: lunar, solar, stellar or a
combination of the three.
 DEVELOPMENT ST AFRICA
Cont’d. AFRICA:

Metallurgy – iron tech., development

of Bronze Age until Iron Age. They
invented metal tools used in homes,
agriculture, build magnificent
architectures.
Lebombo Bone – a tool for
multiplication, division, etc,
6-months-lunar calendar – oldest
math artifact (35,000 BCE)
Have knowledge of basic concepts
of algebra and geometry
Islamic regions in Africa benefit from
advance mathematical learning in
algebra, geometry and trigonometry
THANK YOU