REVIEWER FOR STS CHAPTER 1 1.2.

1 Cities and Ziggurats

1.1 Early Civilizations There are several great cities made by

• Early humans have learned to use Sumerians these are the pertinent ones:
stone tools for survival, used to Major cities in Mesopotamia
hunting fish and wild animals, Eridu Uruk Ur Larsa Isin
prepare food, and make shelter. Adab Kullah Lagash Nippur Kish
• Learned how to use fire that allowed
then to cook, provide heat and light.
• Early humans are called nomads, • The one that was considered first true

because they are people who stays on city in in the world is the city of uruk

the move looking for food without a • Each of the cities had corresponding

permanent home. kings living in a ziggurat with temple

1.2 Sumerian Civilization at the top for their high priest to serve

• The first civilization began in their patron gods and goddesses.

Mesopotamia, aka “land between the • Ziggurats began to appear 2200 B.C.,

rivers” derived from the Greek words these are pyramid-like, stepped

meso (middle) and potam (river) temples which is either square or

since it was located between Tigris rectangular, no inner chambers with

and Euphrates rivers. Identified with height around 170 feet, built with

fertile crescent, it is within the sunbaked bricks for inside structure

following boundaries. and fired bricks for the outside.

• The Sumerians were the first people • Staircases led to the top of the
to settle in Mesopotamia to create a structure of the ziggurat for the priest

civilization by the development of to utilize.

methods and technologies in

agriculture, language, governance,
architecture etc. around 4500 BCE
the Sumerians built cities along the
rivers in South Mesopotamia.
1.2.2 Agriculture 1.2.4 Number System
• Sumerians found a way to control • Sumerians came up of a number
flood that come from the rivers Tigris system, and it was a combination of
and Euphrates, which is valuable to different radix system such as base 1,
their agricultural system. This is why base 10 and base 60. The base 60
every city battled control over the which is known as sexagesimal,
river water. became the standard number system
• The Sumerians developed the of Sumerians and passed down to the
irrigation systems through the ancient Babylonians.
creation of levees to hold back the 1.2.5 Sailboat
floods from their fields made artificial • The discovery of sailboat made it
walls & canals to channel water from easier for Sumerians to acquire foods
the rivers into the fields. that could not be cultivated and
• Wheat and barley were mostly produced in their own farm.
cultivated by Sumerians while sheep • The invention of sailboat made a way
and cattle are typically raised. in the innovation in the aspects of
1.2.3 Cuneiform Writing doing travel, trading and battleship.
• The development of cuneiform 1.2.6 Wheel
writing is claimed to be the greatest • The initial wheel took the form of a
contribution of the Sumerian potter’s wheel.
civilization. • This concept led to wheeled vehicles
• Is a system of writing derived from to easily transport agricultural
pictographs and symbol of items products to transfer people from one
engraved on soft clay tablets, making place to another. Early wheels are
it very fragile and difficult to store made out of solid disk of wood from
• Cuneiform is initially used for trading a tree trunk.
and recording goods and livestock, • With the invention of the wheel and
but later on used to record axle, milled wheel was developed that
information such as temple activities, made production of food easier.
business, presenting stories, myths • Lighter wagons also appeared from
and personal letters. this civilization
1.2.7 Plow 1.3 Babylonian Civilization
• The plow was invented by Sumerians • Sumerian civilization control of the
that increased the quality of crops. region of Mesopotamia lasted for
Plow is a tool or device that is used in 2000 years before Babylonians took
farming for initial cultivation of soil charge in 2004 B.C. after the Ur-
in preparation for sowing seed or based empire had collapsed.
planting. • Babylon was conquered by a man
• Made mass production of food less named Samu-abum, who turned it
difficult. Over 4000 years ago, the into a kingdom made up of the city
hand held plow was enhanced to be and small amount of territory.
converted to animal driven plows. • A ruler named Hammurabi took over
1.2.8 Medicine the throne and turned this small city
• Superstitions, mysticism, astrology into a great empire. Babylon is the
and magic played pertinent aspects in most popular city from ancient
the lives of the people of Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia. 1.3.1 Hanging Gardens of Babylon
• Sumerians believed that diseases • The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
were punishment from god due to was built by King Nebuchadnezzar,
actions of demons and bad spirits. early people stated that the gardens
• Believing that priest had sufficient were for King Nebuchadnezzar’s
magic power to fight the mystic force beloved wife, Amyitis. The two wee
of disease and illness. married to form coalition between
• In cases where the disease or disorder nations
was originated from supernatural • The land the Amyitis came from was
causes, exorcists were consulted to green, rugged and mountainous and
drive away spirits with charms and she found the flat, sun-baked terrain
spells. of Mesopotamia depressing. The king
then decided to relieve her depression
and cheer her up by recreating her
homeland, building an artificial
mountain with rooftop gardens.
 • Certain issues regarding the true 1.4 Egyptian Civilization
existence of the Hanging Garden of • Around 5500 BCE two major
Babylon surfaced, there were no kingdoms were built along the Nile
documentations in Babylonian River. The Egyptian civilization
sources that the garden ever existed, began when Egypt was brought
no solid archaeological evidences together by one ruler, King Narmer.
existed. • The Egyptian king was considered as
1.3.2 Weapons the absolute ruler and owner of all the
• Babylonian civilization transpired land, water, people etc. in his
during the bronze age, the weapons kingdom, later Egyptian would refer
thy used to protect territory and their kings’ pharaohs.
conquer one were made out of bronze • They developed theocracy; a
material. government ruled by religious leaders
• The weapons they use are sickle since they believed that pharaoh was
swords, socketed axes, spears and the a living god.
Egyptian-derived bladed mace, as 1.4.1 Temple
well as clubs, staffs and projectiles • Ancient Egyptians believed that
flung in war slings. – temples were the homes of the gods
• Bronze metal was softer that iron and and goddesses. Every temple was
steel, this caused them to lose certain dedicated to a god or goddess and
battles with enemy troops that had worshipped there by priest and
iron and steel. pharaoh.
1.3.3 Babylonian Number System 1.4.2 Mummification
• The sexagesimal system used by • The most well-known ritual was
Sumerians was not pure base-60 mummification. Egyptians believed
system, instead the cuneiform digits in life after death, and they wanted the
used as ten as a sub-base in the body to look life-like.
fashion of a sign-value notation.
1.4.3 Hieroglyphics 1.4.5 Irrigation System
• Egyptians developed a writing system • Since Nile river flooded its banks
called hieroglyphics that combine every year, farmers have built canals
pictures of living creatures and and created an irrigation system to
symbols of objects used in daily water their crops. They used shadufs
living. It is complex but relatively a hand-operated device for lifting
straightforward. water from the Nile River into
buckets, which they then poured into
The inventory of signs is divided into 3
irrigation ditches, farmers use of an
major categories:
‘Archimedean screw’ which was
1. Logograms – signs that write out used to lift water from a low-lying
morphemes body of water into irrigation trenches.
2. Phonograms – signs that represent 1.4.6 Mathematics
one or more sounds • Ancient Egyptians were
3. Determinatives – signs that denote knowledgeable in the field of
neither morpheme nor sound but help Mathematics. They used fraction,
with the meaning of the group of decimals, addition, subtraction,
signs that precede them multiplication, division and basic
• The said writing was made as they ideas of geometry.
created a writing material similar to 1.4.7 Calendar
paper called papyrus. • The ancient Egyptians used a
1.4.4 Medicine calendar with 12 months of 30 days
• The ancient Egyptians had a great each a total of 360 days per year.
deal of knowledge of healing herbs About 4000 B.C. they added five
and repairing physical injuries. Much extra days at the end of the year to
of the Egyptian knowledge of the bring it more into line with the solar
body came from their practice of year having 365 days
embalming the dead.
1.4.8 Wigs • Greek religious traditions
• Ancient Egyptian used wigs for encompassed a large pantheon of
beauty, vanity and personal hygiene, gods, complex mythologies, rituals
made from human hair, sheep’s wool and cult practices. Greek was a
or vegetable fibers. The more it polytheistic society and looked to its
looked like real hair the more gods and mythology to explain
expensive it was and the more sought natural mysteries as well as current
after. events.
• Wigs also symbolized social status. 1.5.1 Theater
People who belonged to the upper • Most art and literature performances
class liked to possess many wigs. The of ancient Greeks were performed in
more the wigs they owned, the higher theaters. These theaters were large,
their status was. After death open-air structures consisted of the
Egyptians were often buried with seating area (theatron), a circular
their best wigs as they wanted to space for the actors to perform
appear wealthy and with beautiful (orchestra), and the stage (skene).
hair in the afterlife. Tiered seats in the theatron provided
space for spectators.
1.5.2 Houses
1.5 Greek Civilization • The majority of the poor lived in a
• The civilization of ancient Greece rural area or crowded urban slums,
th
transpired during the 8 century B.C. with narrow and filthy lanes, some of
• Greek society was focused on the the poor lived in multi-story blocks of
government, art, architecture, apartment.
philosophy, and sports. Leaders • Larger houses were constructed
sough for artist and architect to around a courtyard, with rooms
beautify cities and places of worships. leading off. Some of these were quite
• Greek paid reverence to their gods modest, for well-to-do craftsmen or
and goddesses through sacrifices, farmers some were large and
rituals, festival. luxurious with accommodation for a
large household includes many slave.
1.5.3 Trade 3. Aristotle
• From an early stage in history, many • Became the student Plato
Greeks looked to the sea for • Developed empirical approach in
livelihood. For a period of about 150 studying nature
years after 750 BC, many city-states • Founded Theory of Four
send out groups of their citizens to (material, formal, efficient, final)
found colonies on distant shores of 4. Thales
the Mediterranean Sea and the Black • Believed that water the only
Sea that led to establish strong trading substance that was source of all
ties among one another. Greek things
Traders soon dominated maritime 5. Phytagoras
trade of the Mediterranean. • Made important contributions in
1.5.4 Some Famous Greek Philosophers the field of mathematics

The Greeks made major contributions in the • Developed the Phythagorean

field of philosophy, mathematics and science. Theorem

6. Empedocles
1. Socrates
• Believed in the four fundamental
• Known to developed the “Socratic
elements (fire, air, earth, and
Method” of analyzing good and
water)
justice.
7. Democritus
• The problem is broken down into
• Established the concept of
series of inquiries that would lead to
atomism
answers to the problem.
• Everything is nature is made up of
2. Plato
indivisible elements called atoms
• Became the student of Socrates
8. Archimedes
• Laid the foundations of Western
• Known for his physical law of
philosophy and science
buoyancy.
• Founded the Academy of Athens, the
first institution of higher learning in
the Western world.
1.6 Roman Civilization • Brick and tiles were also
• According to myth, Rome was commonly plastered over the
founded in 753 B.C.E. by concrete for aesthetic purposes.
Romulus, the first king and his 1.6.3 Roman Aqueducts
brother Remus. In 509 B.C.E. • Ancient Roman aqueducts were
Rome became a republic governed built to convey water from far
by the Senate (wealthy landowners away springs and mountains into
and elders) and the Roman people. cities and towns through gravity,
• Rome conquered the rest of Italy which supplies the city’s
and then expanded into France, fountains, gardens, public and
Spain, Turkey, North Africa and private baths, latrines and houses
Greece during the 450 years of of wealthy romans as well as
being declared republic. agricultural lands.
1.6.1 Roman Cities • Romans first aqueduct, the Aqua
• Roman cities were typically Appia was built in 312 BC which
focused on the forum, a large open connected the spring that was 16.4
plaza, surrounded by important km from Rome. All in all, Rome
buildings such as the main temple, has 11 aqueducts during the 3rd
the basilica, the law courts. century.
• Also, around the cities were the
markets, latrines and public baths
as well as porticoes, colonnades,
arches and fountains that
beautified the cities.
1.6.2 Building materials
• The romans made use of native
volcanic stone called tufa to
construct buildings. Its off-white
color look made it an acceptable
substitute for marble.
1.6.4 Roman Architectures 1.6.5 Roman Numerals
1. The Pantheon • There are seven basic symbols in
• Temple of all the roman gods the Roman numerals: I, V, X, L,
2. Colosseum C, D, and M.
• Largest amphitheater • The lapses of the said number
• Seating capacity of 50,000 system were the non-existence of
3. Arch of Septimius Severus symbol for zero (0) and the
• Monumental arch limited way of expressing large
• Built in recognition of Roman values, which could only be done
victories by adding lines on top of the
4. Maison Carree numerals to indicate multiples.

• The only temple that is completely

preserved up to this day.
• Most of the ancient Roman
architectures were inspired from
Greek works and some were from
Egyptian designs
• Romans emphasized more on the
practicality of the architectural
designs.
• Deviation from the contemporary
practice inspired from other
civilizations gave primary focus
of Roman to a structure’s exterior
design and aesthetic appeal.