GNED 06 Lecture 2: Historical Antecedents of the World Transcript

Slide 1: Title Page

Good day students! Hope you are all doing great today. It’s me again, Sir/Ma’am _____
and today we have a new topic to talk about – the historical antecedents of the world. Before we
start, let me ask you – what do you think is the meaning of historical antecedents? What do you
think is the meaning of historical antecedents of the world pertaining to STS? Kindly pause this
audio and give yourself three minutes to answer the question. Here, we focus on the term
“antecedent,” which means an event or condition that happened before something. We will be
looking at the condition of science, technology, and the society throughout history. So, sit back,
relax, and don’t you dare fall asleep! 😊

Slide 2: The Human Condition Before Common Era

From the previous lecture, we’ve learned that technology doesn’t always spring from
science. Having said this, it is safe to say that technological advancements arose earlier than
scientific discoveries (do you all agree?). And these technological advancements will not be
possible without early humans who have the skills or even instinct to create. The prehistoric
period or when there was human life before records documented human activity roughly dates
from 2.5 million years ago to 1,200 B.C. It is generally categorized in three archaeological
periods: the stone age, bronze age, and iron age.

Slide 3: The Human Condition Before Common Era

As for how the quote from the previous slide goes, “the primal need to survive paved
way for the invention of several developments.” It is the instinct of early humans to survive
that allowed them to create several types of technologies. They have fire for cooking, tools for
hunting, and even used stones for cave drawings that record their daily life and activities or
illustrate what they observe in nature. It is true that it is difficult to exactly pinpoint where
technology is said to have started, but we consider the discovery of harnessing fire from
chipping stones that marked the advent of technology. They were able to do this without
knowledge of the laws of heat and friction, amazing right? I hope now we can confidently
disregard the general notion that technology is merely the application of science.

Slide 4: Stone Age

Now, we will look into the different archaeological periods mentioned earlier. First is the
stone age. This era is marked by the invention and use of stone tools by our early human
ancestors and the eventual transformation of the society from a culture of hunting and
gathering to farming and food production. This period is practically difficult for our ancestors.
Why do you think so? It is because resources are not abundant, and they are also living in the
midst of wild animals making them easy targets/prey. We know relatively little about this era
because there are limited to no written accounts (of course) of the human activities that
occurred here. Only cave drawings, unearthed artifacts (such as stone tools, bone tools) are
available for us to study leaving us with little capacity to contemplate. The stone age is divided
into three separate periods – Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic period – based on the degree of
sophistication in the fashioning and use of these stone tools.

Slide 5: Paleolithic period

Let us look into the Paleolithic period (or Old Stone period). Paleo means old and -lithic
came from lithos meaning stone. Throughout the Paleolithic, humans were food
gatherers/hunters, depending on hunting wild animals and birds, fishing, and collecting wild
fruits, nuts, and berries. They are nomads with no permanent shelters. The record of this long
interval is very incomplete; it can be studied from imperishable objects made of flint, stone,
bone, and antler.
There are notable tools and ornaments created by our forerunners during this old stone
period. First, we have the “Venus”, a carving of a voluptuous woman out of ivory of stone. It is
not definite as to what this carving means to the early humans, but historians infer that this is an
ancient representation of beauty while for some, a penchant for fertility. Fur clothing were also
made from the fur of the animals they hunted. They also invented pit houses, temporary
shelters that they can bring with them and reassemble to a new location (due to their lifestyle).
Likewise, personal ornaments and crude (not polished) hunting tools made of stone were
invented during this time.

Slide 6: Mesolithic Period

This period marked the end of the last Ice Age, which resulted in the extinction of many
large mammals (like mammoths, seen on the slide) and rising sea levels and climate change
that eventually caused man to migrate. Humans used small stone tools (microliths), now also
more polished and sometimes crafted with points and attached to antlers, bone or wood to
serve as spears and arrows. This tool was also used for digging the ground and stitching
clothes. They often lived nomadically in camps near rivers and other bodies of water. Agriculture
was introduced during this time, which led to more permanent settlements in villages.

Slide 7: Neolithic Period

Finally, during the Neolithic period, ancient humans switched from hunter/gatherer
mode to agriculture and food production. They domesticated animals and cultivated cereal
grains. They used polished hand axes for ploughing and tilling the land and started to settle in
the plains. Advancements were made not only in tools but also in farming, home construction,
and art, including pottery, sewing and weaving.

Slide 8: Bronze Age

We are now done with the stone age, and here comes a new age. During the Bronze
Age, advances in metalworking were made, as bronze, a copper and tin alloy, was discovered.
Bronze is made up of 88% copper and 12% tin. Metals are obtained from ores (a naturally
occurring solid material from which a metal or valuable mineral can be extracted) through
smelting (see image for reference). Now used for weapons and tools, the harder metal bronze
replaced its stone predecessors and helped spark innovations, including the ox-drawn plow
(you may want to look this tool up to see how it looks) and the wheel.
Organized government, law and warfare, as well as beginnings of religion, also came
into play during the Bronze Age. And since we mentioned religion, it was during this time that
ancient Egyptians built their pyramids to honor their dead pharaohs. Likewise, the earliest
written accounts, including Egyptian hieroglyphs and petroglyphs (rock engravings), are also
dated to this age.

Slide 9: Iron Age

Let’s move on to the Iron Age. Iron was first smelted from ore in South Caucasus (a
region presently occupied by Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan). Smelting iron, a metal harder
than copper and tin, requires a more intensive process and with the development of better
smelting pits (equipment for smelting) that the ability to produce higher temperatures paved
the way to the extraction of iron from ores. At this time, iron was seen as more precious than
gold! Better (sturdier and more reliable) agricultural tools were produced in this age making
agriculture a lot easier than the previous period.
Agriculture, art, and religion all became more sophisticated, and writing systems and
written documentation, including alphabets, began to emerge, ushering in the early historical
period.

Slide 10: Middle Ages

Let’s now talk about the middle ages. It is also known as the medieval period and has
started with the fall of the Roman Empire and has lasted for 1,000 years until 1450. The
beginning of the Middle Ages is called the Dark Ages because the great civilizations of Rome
and Greece had been conquered.
Life in Europe was very hard in the Middle Ages. Very few people could read or write.
Their lack of knowledge often led to superstitious beliefs. The people thought that fate ruled
their existence; therefore, there was little hope for the improvement of their condition. During the
years of the Roman Empire, the poor people were protected by the emperor’s soldiers. When
the empire fell, there were no laws to protect them, so they turned to the lords to keep the peace
and to act on their behalf. This willingness to be ruled by the lords led to the beginnings of
feudalism (see image). Some peasants were free, but most became serfs to a lord. This meant
they were bound to the lord’s land and paid very high rent to the lord. The peasants work the
lands of their lords and are obliged to give their lords homage, labor, and a share of the produce
in exchange for military protection.
While it is considered as “dark ages” by some, there are still inventions that were used
and produced during this era. Will you kindly pause the audio and think of possible tools used
during these times?

Slide 11: Middle Ages

Here are some of the most notable inventions by Europeans in these times: horse
collar that pulls on horse’s shoulders to enable it to plough and carry wagons, watermill that
rotates and generate electricity from that movement, magnetic compass that provides direction
to European mariners/conquistadors and of course the clock. These new inventions drove
economic growth in the region. How so? I will be asking you this in our zoom meet up. Prepare!
☺

Slide 12: China: Middle Ages

While there was a decline in the economy and overall progress in the European region,
different countries in Asia flourished during this era. One of them is China. A lot of useful
inventions were made by medieval Chinese during these times. One is the seismoscope, an
early type of seismograph that determine the presence and direction of an earthquake.
Likewise, Chinese paper making started in 140 BC but was officially used in writing at a later
time (105 AD). The early uses of this paper were for clothing, wall décor, artworks, and even in
toilets (so the Chinese may have been the first ones to clean themselves with toilet paper after
you-know-what haha). Next, we have the magnetic compass. The first compasses were made
of iodestone, a magnetized stone of iron, in Han dynasty. The spoon in the photo shows the
direction, and it is often used in divination (a ritual to see and understand the future) during the
Han dynasty. And last, we have the cannon that is used as weapons for military activities.

Slide 13: China: Middle Ages

The list of inventions by the Chinese doesn’t end there. So it is appropriate to say, “wait,
there’s more!” You have the acupuncture that utilizes needles for medical therapy, first
movable type printing made from pottery was developed, gun powder that was followed by
vigorous development of explosive weapon about three centuries before it appeared in Europe,
wheel barrow to carry heavy loads and wagons to carry heavy loads as well as carry royalties
around when they need to travel.
Now, let’s take a look at gunpowder. What are your thoughts on the development of
gunpowder? Do you think having weapons is beneficial to a nation? More so, do you think
owning nuclear weapons is necessary to keep a country free from invasion or even threats? I
will ask your thoughts on this in our zoom meeting.

Slide 14: India: Middle Ages

India also made notable inventions that are still beneficial until this present day. They
were the ones to divide a year in 12 months. They were also the ones to develop metallurgy
(science of smelting). The Ayurveda or Ayurvedic medicine was also developed during this
time in India which is based on the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance
between mind, body, and spirit. Its main goal is not to fight diseases but to promote good health.
With the Indians’ great minds, they were also able to develop the concepts square root and
linear equation (Now you know where to put the blame if you had hard time with these in high
school).
 So we are done with exploring the different discoveries during the Middle ages. The
Middle Ages, according to historians, ended after a European explored and colonized the
Americas. Let’s look at the next slide.

Slide 15: Pre-Columbian America

Christopher Columbus, an Italian master navigator, completed four voyages across the
Atlantic Ocean that opened the way for European exploration, exploitation, and colonization of
the Americas. So is it correct to say that Columbus “discovered” the Americas? No! Because
long before he invaded the region, there were flourishing civilizations essential for us to note
and discuss. These are the Maya, Aztec, and Inca.
These civilizations thrived not in the present-day New York or in Texas but in the
Mesoamerican region or Middle America which now extends from central Mexico down
through Central America including the territory which is now made up of the countries
Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador.

Slide 16: Maya

The Mayans excelled at agriculture, pottery, hieroglyph writing, calendar-making, and
mathematics, and left behind an astonishing amount of impressive architecture and symbolic
artwork. They made pyramids made out of limestone as a display of their architectural
prowess. Also, another notable fact about Mayans is that they used cocoa beans as monetary
units. And lastly, the most notable of these inventions is the Mayan solar calendar that sparked
intrigue and even fear some 8 years ago (2012). But note that neither the Mayans nor their
calendar ever predicted the end of the world. Only those who do not understand Mayan culture
and ancient knowledge allowed for this doomsday myth to spread by sharing false claims that
the end of the Mayan calendar will also mean the end of the world. In short, fake news
everybody!

Slide 17: Aztec

Another civilization is the Aztec. They recorded astronomical observations in stone
sculptures. They practiced farming by slash and burn, meaning that they clear forested lands
by cutting trees and plants and burning the remaining vegetation to create a land for agriculture.
Now, let me ask you is this sustainable? Also, one peculiar ritual of the Aztecs is the human
sacrifice. They used razor-sharp obsidian blades and sliced open the chests of the sacrificial
humans and offered their still beating hearts to their gods. Luckily, now we have human rights.

Slide 18: Inca

Good thing that Incas do not perform human sacrifices, unlike the previous civilization.
And contrary to the Aztecs’ slash and burn technique, the Incas utilized more advanced farming
method, which is terraces farming just like what the Igorots did in Benguet. The animals you
see there are llamas and alpacas from which they made their clothes by removing these
animals’ fluffy wool.
Slide 19: Scientific Revolution
Now let’s proceed to the scientific revolution. Scientific revolution is the name given to
this period of drastic change in scientific thought that took place during the 16 th and 17th
centuries. It replaced the Greek view of nature (more on philosophical rather than empirical) that
had dominated science for almost 2,000 years ago. It is characterized by an emphasis on
abstract reasoning, quantitative thought, an understanding of how nature works, the view of
nature as a machine, and the development of an experimental scientific method.
Also, the use of the printing machine, paved the way for the faster spread of new ideas
and discoveries. Scientists and scholars publish their works in order to spark interest and even
challenge contemporary ideologies at their time. This fast method of communication sped up the
scientific interest of people. And I hope we all can take something from this occurrence, that
sharing the findings or even usable products from our researches will definitely benefit the
communities and even the entire country.
Slide 20: Scientific Revolution
Look at the figure. How do you interpret this? Scientific revolution is very significant in
the development of human, formulation of scientific ideas, and transformation of the society.
When humans produce scientific ideas, it benefits the society and in turn, will definitely benefit
individual humans in the society and the cycle goes on. Just take a good look around you and
be grateful of the things that arose from the advancement of science.

Slide 21: Scientific Revolution

The 3 Cs when merged are the characteristics of a scientist influencing the ideas,
discoveries, and technologies developed and produced. We can all agree with this – our
science and technology will only be as good as our scientists and skilled people. So, I hope you
have these 3 Cs, creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking. But don’t worry, your exams here
in STS will require these three, for sure!

Slide 22: Some Intellectuals and Their Revolutionary Ideas

Let’s have a little activity here. Kindly pause this audio and try your best to match the
scientists’ names with their appropriate photos. You may pair the letters and numbers. Answers
to this are A1, B2, C3, D5, and E4. 😊 Moving forward, let’s talk about these notable persons in
the field of science.

Slide 23: Nicolaus Copernicus

Look at the image. Which do you think is the correct model of our solar system? Of
course, you know the answer. But earlier, geocentrism, a model in which Earth was considered
the center of the universe, was the one generally believed to be true. It was proposed by
Ptolemy of Alexandria. Nicolaus Copernicus proposed heliocentrism in which sun is the center
of the universe rather than the earth. It was later on proven to be true with the invention of
telescopes.

Slide 24: Johannes Kepler

The law of planetary motion only states that all planets revolve around the sun in an
elliptical and not circular orbits. We do not need to dwell on it that much; you just need to be
familiarized with it. And the same goes for the next theories to be discussed.

Slide 25: Isaac Newton

I bet you are all familiar with the three laws of motion, is that right? We have the law of
inertia, acceleration, and interaction. Which law states that for every action, there is an equal
and opposite reaction? Which law states that an object at rest/in motion will remain at rest/in
motion unless acted upon by a force? And lastly, which law states that acceleration is produced
when a force acts on a mass? Very good, kids! I am just assuming you are answering.

Slide 26: Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin is famous for his theory of evolution in which he wrote a full account of in
his book entitled “On the Origin of Species.” This theory states that diverse groups of animals
evolve from one or a few common ancestors. Now, another question. Did we evolve from apes?
Is that how evolution works? Definitely not! Evolution only tells us that we are related to apes,
but we did not directly evolve from them, or reciprocally, an ape cannot turn into a human being.

Slide 27: Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud’s theory of personality revolved around the three components of the
mind, namely the id, ego, and superego. The id is made up of the unconscious psychic energy
that works to satisfy basic urges, needs, and desires. The superego is composed of people’s
internalized ideals (what is right and what is wrong) acquired from parents and society and
works to suppress the impulsive urges. Lastly, the ego mediates the demands of the id,
superego, and reality.
We are done with scientific revolution; we will now proceed to another period.

Slide 28: Industrial Revolution

The industrial revolution marked a period of development in the latter period of the 18 th
century that transformed largely rural, agrarian societies in Europe and America into
industrialized, urban ones. This era is the time when the manufacture of goods moved from
small shops and homes to large factories. This brought about changes in culture as people
moved from rural areas to big cities in order to work. This revolution started in the Great Britain.
So, my question is, why? How did this nation able to shift from agrarian to industrialized?

Slide 29: What is Information?

Before we proceed with the next period let us first define what information is.
Information is knowledge obtained from investigation, study, or instruction.

Slide 30: Gutenberg Revolution

The first European to successfully use movable type printing was Johannes
Gutenberg. The books printed using these presses in the beginning of the Gutenberg era are
called incunabula (cradle or birthplace). The first book of any note to be printed with movable
type printer was Gutenberg’s bible, published in 1456. Copies are still in existence up to this
date. With this type of printer, the passing of information was made easier compared to when
this printing press is still not available. But as we all know, we have now transitioned to the
digital age. Let’s proceed to the next slide.

Slide 31: Post-Gutenberg Revolution

This revolution’s hallmark was the use of computers, internet, and other information
technologies such as the world wide web. Now, we are able to upload and download any
material about anything under the sun with ease and convenience. Therefore, the passing of
information is easier compared to the previous ones (e.g. via printing machines). But as we all
know, these technologies have great potential both to benefit and to harm the societies that
embrace them.

Slide 32: Information Age

The information age began around the 1970s and is still going on today. It is also known
as the computer age, digital age, or new media age. This era brought about a time period in
which people could access information and knowledge easily. This brought about changes in
the society from traditionally industrialized to one reliant on information computerization.

Slide 33: Rise of the Digital Age

The modern computer was born out of the urgent necessity after the second world war
to face the challenge of Nazism through innovation. But the first iteration of the computer as we
now understand it came much earlier when, in the 1830s, an inventor named Charles Babbage
designed a device called the analytical engine.
It was a general-purpose device that could compute many different problems. It was to
be digital, automatic, mechanical, and controlled by variable programs. In short, it would solve
any calculation you wished. It would be the first computer.
Kids, this ends our lecture 2. I hope you learned a lot since this was really a lot. Just a
reminder, do not forget to answer your seatwork we gave you. Thank you for listening!