ANCIENT CHINA
AEGEAN
CIVILIZATION
GROUP 1
Ancient China
Ancient China is known to be one of the oldest and longest
lasting civilizations of the world. “China” is derived from the
Sanskrit cina from the name of the Qin Dynasty, pronounced
“chin”. The Greeks and the Romans called China seres meaning
the land where the silk comes from.
Ancient China has a very long and Rich history of science
and technology. It made important advancements in science,
technology, mathematics, and astronomy, Notably, China was
the first record astronomical phenomena such as the solar
eclipse and One of the few to witness a guest star supernova at
1054 BC that created the Crab Nebula.
The Chinese also developed a counting device
called the abacus sometime between 1000 BC and 500
BC. It was use not only for counting for basic and
complex mathematical operations.
Acupuncture is the practice of relieving pain,
healing illnesses, and improving the general well
being of a person by inserting several metal needles at
precise points into the skin and tissue.
The invention of paper in 105 AD greatly affected the way
China reported it history and produced literature. Together with
the first movable printing press created in 960 AD, the
production of printed work’s flourished around the world.
Porcelain is a type of ceramic clay pottery used to craft vases
plates, cups, and decorative furniture which were treasured by
other nations at the time of it’s invention.
Chinese women engaging in sericulture
Silk originated in China as early as the Chinese Neolithic period. It is produced
by silkworms that feed on mulberry leaves and create the cocoon where they will later
develop. It was during the Han Dynasty that sericulture-the cultivation and production
of silk-was refined and mastered.
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Gunpowder, initially used for fireworks, was also one of the
popular creations of Chinese Taoist alchemists who mixed sulfur,
charcoal, and potassium nitrate in hopes of creating a potion for
immortality in 142 AD. It was later on used in the Mongol Wars of
the 10th century and, ironically, the European domination of China
in the 1800s.
Aegean Civilization
Ancient Greece refers to a time between 800 BC and 500 BC after the so-called Greek
Dark Ages. Greece is a country in Southeastern Europe also known as Hellas or Ellada,
which is “Greece” in Greek. It is made up of a mainland and groups of smaller
islands.Ancient Greece is characterized by the expansion of villages and the development of
marketplaces and meeting places
Also known for its achievements in politics, art, philosophy, and science. It vastly
democratized education, thus nurturing great philosophers and scientists. These thinkers,
along with countless discoveries of Ancient Greece, provided unparalleled influence on
Western Civilization.
■ Greek Philosophy is undeniably the most renowned contribution of the Greeks to
Western Civilization. Philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates questioned
human existence and how the world came to be. These philosophers and many who
came after them denied the explanation of religion, superstition, and myths in decoding
the human condition and the mechanisms of the world.
Advancements in mathematics and science soon emerged
in Ancient Greece, Pythagoras, who was also a philosopher,
was ben known for the Pythagorean Theorem, which was used
to measure distance and space. He also believed that “number”
is the only objective concept in the understanding of reality.
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Thales of Miletus, regarded as the first Western
philosopher and mathematician, became popular for his precise
prediction of the solar eclipse on May 28, 585 BC. Among his
other contribution were the calculation of the height of
pyramids, description of the
Hippocrates, considered as the “Father of Western Medicine,”
made big leaps in the field of medicine by observing wounded
soldiers, the veins and arteries of the body and by determining the
correlation of diet and lifestyle to diseases. The Hippocratic Oath
formulated after his death is an oath of ethics taken
Innovations in engineering and mechanics also flourished in
Ancient Greece. The Greeks were able to draw energy from
water through water mills that were used to grind grain. Philo’s
Perachora wheel was the pioneering invention that contributed
to the creation of water mills. Aqueducts were also constructed
at this time for water management in Samos and Athens.
Ctesibius is known for developing the water clock or clepsydra.
Ctesibius’ water alarm clock worked by using water droppings and clay
vessels to track time. He also used bells that were supposed to be hit by
dropping pebbles in order to make sounds.
■ The invention of the odometer is attributed to
Archimedes of Syracuse during the First Punic
War.
■ The early odometer was used to measure the
distance covered by a vehicle. It has since then
paved the way for the advancement of
transportation and construction of roads.
Odometer
