Lecture 4

Question 1

Rate of Change

Answer 1

Technological changes were slow initially, however after the invention of the plow, the rate of technological change became almost instant, leading to the rise of cities and monumental buildings in under 100 years

Question 2

Impact of the Plow

Answer 2

Around 4000 BC transformed society by increasing food production, leading to surplus of food, population growth, specialization, and the rise of civilization

Question 3

First Civilizations

Answer 3

In Mesopotamia (Sumerians) with agriculture and plow
Other early civilization includes Egypt and the Indus Valley

Question 4

Dominance over nature

Answer 4

Early societies transitioned from using technology to survive to using it to dominate nature and other people.
Focus shifted to creating wealth, power, prestige, with technology facilitating the control if less advance groups

Question 5

Irrigation and Standardization

Answer 5

The Sumerians settled by Euphrates and Tigris (rivers)
This created irrigation systems
Developed standardized measurement system (weight, distance, volume) for efficient large-scale management and introduced early forms of mathematics and the calendar

Question 6

Bureaucracy and Record Keeping

Answer 6

The Sumerians developed complex bureaucracies and introduced writing systems like cuneiform on clay tablets for record keeping
Helped manage offerings in temples, taxes and large projects

Question 7

Metallurgy and Warfare

Answer 7

Sumerians began smelting metals like copper and tin to create bronze
this led to the development of armor and weapons for larger scale warfare, creating professional armies and increasing military dominance

Question 8

Egypts Wealth and social Control

Answer 8

Egypts wealth was largely due to the nile river - predictable and plentiful harvests
this food surplus led to the construction of the pyramids and development of social control mechanisms - priests and Pharaohs used knowledge of stars and floods to control the masses

Question 9

The great pyramids of Giza

Answer 9

built by contracted workers mostly farmers in the off-season over a period of 20 years
designed as monumental tombs to preserve bodies and possessions of the pharaohs for the afterlife
Symbolized Egypt’s wealth and power

Question 10

Egyptian focus on afterlife

Answer 10

Egyptian civilization heavily focused on afterlife and preparing for the afterlife their advancements in technology were driven more by religious belief and the desire for the afterlife than practical everyday needs