Lesson 2: Ancient Science - Mayan Priest & Warrior – blessing

of the warrior in fighting to protect

the ruins.
Pre-Colonial Era
- The golden age of the Maya Empire
Mesoamerica – 2000 years ago (2
began around 250 A.D. and grew to
millennium)
some 40 cities. At its peak, the Maya
Meso = middle; America = North & South
population may have reached
- Mesoamerica is the region that is
2,000,000
now Mexico and Central America.
- Mayan ruins include huge Ziggurat
The Olmec and observatories used by
astronomers.
- 1200 B.C. – 600 A.D. - Astronomy
- First known civilization in Latin o Chichen Itza in Mexico –
America
popular Ziggurat
- Scriptures and temples indicate that
o Study astronomy for planting
kings or priests led the Olmec
and harvesting time
society
o Accurate calendar system – 18
o This focus on religious
months per year, known as
leadership influenced later
Tzolkin – 19 symbols
civilizations in the religion.
- Mayan Tools – for crops and
- At former religious centers
building cities
characterized by pyramid-shaped
- Arts – colorful; masks
temples, giant stone heads weighing
o System of Writing –
10 tons stood up to 11 feet tall.
Hieroglyphs
The Maya - Mathematics – concept of zero
o The Maya Number System and
- 250 A.D. – 900 A.D. – The Classic
Long Count Units
Period
- Mayan Rubber – the Mayans cut slits
- Now called the Yucatan Peninsula
in the bark if the rubber tree and
- The Mayan lived in modern-day
collected its sap.
southern Mexico and Central
o They used the dried sap to make
America
o Including the areas that are water-resistant shoes and
clothing
today Belize, El Salvador,
o Rubber was also used to make
Guatemala, and Honduras.
- The use of heads balls.
- Agriculture – maize (corn), sweet o The Mayans played games in
potatoes, and chilies. – Staple Food enclosed I-shaped courts with
of Ancient Mayans rubber balls
- Their central location made it very o These ballgames took on a
easy for the Maya to trade and ritual significance and were an
interact with other cultures from important part of Mayan
North and South America Culture
 o The court was shaped like an
upper case and many believe it
to be the first team sport
- Tikal
- Collapsed – warfare, volcanic
eruption, or drought
The Inca
- 1438 A.D. – 1533 A.D.
- The Incas developed in the Andes
Mountains in what is now Peru
- The Incas were ruled by an emperor
who had absolute power
- The Incas grew mostly corn and
potatoes
- Built 14,000 miles of roads
- To farm the steep land:
o They cut terraces into the
mountainside
o Built aqueducts to irrigate crops
- Inca civilization
o Roads paved with stones
o Stone buildings
o Irrigation system and technique
for storing water
o Calendar with 12 months
o First suspension bridge
o Quipu, a system of knotted
ropes; like small rosary beads
used for counting
o Inca Textiles – fabrics; clothing
- Farming in the Andes
The Aztec
- 1200 A.D. – 1521 A.D.
- Built their capital on what is now
called Mexico
- Aztec people settled in the Valley of
Mexico and what is now Mexico
City
- The capital city of Tenochtitlan
o Approximately 30 million in the
entire empire
- Toltec Empire – fought for their land
- At the height of the civilization there
were over 300,000 people living in
the capital city of Tenochtitlan and
approximately 300 million living in
the entire empire; abundant resources
- Aztec Religion – the god of all gods
is the son; they took a person and
sacrifice him/her
- Contributions:
o Mandatory Education
o Chocolate
o Antispasmodic Medication – for
stomachache
o Chinampa – floating garden;
marketplace
o Aztec Calendar
o Invention of the canoe – water
transpo; artistic boat made of
wood
Lesson 3: Development of Science in Asia
India
- Medicine – earliest established
o Ayurveda – herbal medicine
o Susruta Samhita – book of
herbal medicines
- Astronomy
o Aryabhatiya by Aryabhata (The
Great Indian Astronomer and
Mathematician)
o The Sun (Surya) is the center of
creation, the point at which the
seen and unseen worlds unite
and is the visible source of the
world in which we live.
- Mathematics
o Hindu-Arabic numeral system
 o Mohenjodaro Ruler – made of o Banaue Rice Terraces –
wood sophisticated products of
engineering
China
o Based their faith from
- Chinese Ancient Compass abundance
- Paper making - Magellan’s Expedition (March 16,
- Gun powder – 75% saltpeter; 15% 1521) landed on Homonhon
charcoal; 10% sulfur o Wasn’t successful, real purpose:
find spices in Indonesia
Middle East
- Mathematics
o Khwarizmi (The Father of
Algebra) – al-jabr (thesis;
*Thomasites
publication)
o Ibn Al-haytham - Ptolemy the
second (Ptolemaeus Secundus);
Father of modern optics
- Medicine
o Ibn-sina - physician
- Chemistry
o Oil and gold
Africa
- Medicine
- Metallurgy – metals; tools

Development of Science in the Philippines

Pre-Colonial Period
- Herbs and Herbal Medicines
- Fire, Light & Heat
- Jars (Manungguul, Bulol)
- Alibata (Writing System)
- Agricultural Revolution
o Methods in Farming
o Stones for recording purposes
o Clay pottery and soil minerals
for metallurgy
o Barter of different goods and
resources
- Agricultural abundance