Aosaf

Ancient Age and Technologies.

-by Miahn Rasheeq Aosaf,, my son.

Researchers could unveil many of unknown facts of the ancient past studying artefacts, fossils and sculls. We in the modern era can easily know where, when and how ancient people lived and contributed the chronology of history and civilization. It is admitted that the journey has an unending end and researchers could bring forth a very negligible part in comparison to the assumed covert period of the history. Whatever they found out has become part of Archaeology and History though it needs more horizontal and vertical studies. Optimism lies here as the explorations have not been sketched end but are on continuous discovery. Unknown length of the period has been divided after usage of metals i.e. stone, bronze and iron by Christian Jurgensen Thomsen, a Danish archaeologist in 1836. Stone Age covered Paleolithic (about 33000 years ago), Mesolithic (about 20000 years ago) and Neolithic (about 12000 years ago) period. Bronze Age (3300 B.C to 1200 B.C) lies in the middle of the main three having the subdivision, the Copper Age, which connects Neolithic period to Early Bronze Age generally counted from 5000 B.C to 3000 B.C. Iron Age falls at the tail and ended in different times in the world. 

Names of the ages, i.e. stone to iron, denote the chronology of civilization. Humans became more advanced in words, actions, feelings, thoughts, livelihood, science and technology. Few communes in the race became more advanced than their contemporaries and left their footprints and ideas for the successors.  With their contribution new civilizations appeared in existence in the history. In our present day, many of our inventions are additions, editions and conformity of those of the Stone, Bronze and Iron Age. It bewildered and kept us in mystery to discover how people of thousands years back could establish such civilization. Prof. Abdullah Abu Sayeed, in one of his speeches, mentioned of the total number of old civilizations as 25 to date. It is also rational that there might be more civilized populaces in the thousands years’ timeline from Paleolithic period to late Iron Age. These 25 have vertical or horizontal connections among themselves and very often one is responsible for decline of another. Sometime it was inevitable and sometime was unwanted. Successors could enrich them with more developed ideas and inventions receiving instant technology from their predecessors. Prof. Syed Manzoorul Islam in a television programme anchored by late Prof. Selim Al Deen stipulated Roman Civilization as a transportation of Greek Civilization. The terms, Greco-Roman World and Antiquity refer the transportation of Greek Civilization. Athens’ democracy in 460 B.C, the birth of democracy, in Argos, Syracuse, Rhodes and Erythrai was also followed by the Romans. The old Roman Senate abolished kingship and transferred king’s power to elected Consul in 509 B.C and this system subsequently was more democratised following those of the Greek. Concept of City-States was kept unchanged in Roman time after their conquest over the Greek. Phoenicians and Hellenic part of the Greek started annexation of other countries and they expanded their boundary to Europe, Asia and Africa which was reinforced in Roman time. Romans also used Phoenician’s alphabets in their writing system. Pagan belief was in common though Constantine in late Roman period accepted Christianity as their religion.  

Transportation did not occur in every decline especially where foreign invasion was not the principal or only cause of fall.  A close look reveals that contemporary civilizations had reciprocal trade and political relations thus exchange of culture took place among them. Although they are bracketed with a historical timeline for their rise and fall, they have also an archaeological birth and decay which dated far back. Indus-Valley Civilization is historically taken to be lasted from 3300 B.C to1300 B.C on the Indus River but its Mehrgarh part in the Neolithic period which is called Pre-Harappan Era lasted from 7000 B.C to 2500 B.C cannot be ignored. They started agriculture first. In Mature Harappan Era they started trading with Mesopotamia, Persia and Ancient Egypt. Aryan invasion in 1500 B.C is not termed as the only cause of their fall rather inter-personal conflict, infectious disease, draught, earthquake and Second Urbanization are together responsible here. Ancient city of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were built by them with modern facilities. It left behind Second Urbanization and Vedic Culture which spread in South Asia. Mesopotamian Civilization, the oldest civilization in the world, lasted from 3100 B.C to 539 B.C on the Tigris and the Euphrates in the historical timeline sourced back in the Neolithic Period dated as 10000 B.C to 2900 B.C connecting the Copper and the Early Bronze Age. It spread to the surrounding areas of the present day Iraq in four directions. Its source in the Neolithic period cannot be ignored as their potteries, primitive democracy in Ubaid period and fishing remained remarkable in the history. It passed through its four phases of sub-sections termed as the Sumerians, the Akkadians, the Assyrians and the Babylonians where later took the control wining over the former. Fall was drawn by the Persians who invaded Babylon in 539 B.C and won its control. Alexander defeated the Achaemenidians in 332 B.C and ancient Mesopotamia went under Greek control.  Hanging Garden of Babylon, one of the seven wonders, was built by them. They had trade and political relations with the Egyptians and the Harappans. Egyptian Civilization on the Nile, one of the three old civilizations, dated back as 3100 B.C to 332 B.C in the history. It spread from North Africa to Levant. Its period in the Copper and Early Bronze Age in 5000 B.C marked the small tribes on the Nile who developed the use of copper and high quality of ceramic. They developed a very good Political relation to its neighbouring countries though they lost Southern Canaan to the Assyrians. They could oust them and regained control with the help of the Greek but fell under Persian control in 525 B.C. Alexander invaded Egypt in 332 B.C and conquered it from the Persians. He started Macedonian Ptolemaic Kingdom by annexing Egypt and declared its capital in Alexandria. A comprehensive study reveals that Greek invasion is not the only cause of their fall. Assyrians’ frequent attacks on Egypt made them weak and Persians taking the advantage invaded and took its control. So Alexander was welcomed by the Egyptians as he defeated the Persians which outlined the fall of Egyptian Civilization. Pyramids were constructed by the Egyptians in ancient Egypt. Maya Civilization flourished primarily in present day Mexico in 3500 B.C and its decline was drawn by its own tribal conflicts in 900 A.D and it further lost it independence to the Spanish Empire in 1600 A.D. Chinese Civilization lasted from 2100 B.C to 1600 B.C leaving its legacy in Neolithic rice cultivation and Bronze Age’s Majiayao Culture. Great Wall of China was built in Imperial China which intended to expedite trade and to centralise administration. It protected China from Nomadic groups.

The old age is not only remarkable for arts, crafts, literature and philosophy but also science and technology. Measurement of time, length and mass, chert weight system and purity test of gold were developed by the Harappans. Drainage and sanitation system was developed for Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. Weaving of textile, manufacturing of colourful potteries and water dam for irrigation and to control flood were introduced by the Mesopotamians. Egyptians had technology for quarrying, surveying and construction. Their medicine, literature, arts, mathematics and architecture were widely followed now. Monumental architecture was under control of the Mayans. Ancient Chinese could first invent bone arrowhead and used in their day lives and in war. Cross bow was invented by them which could shoot arrow like projectile. Sword, armour, spear etc. were used by every civilization.

Engines, machine components and instruments were also invented by the ancient people. Wheel, a machine component, has got multi-sector usage. It is used in car, aeroplane, turbine and many other places as machine component. In a wheel chair and in a wooden cart a wheel is the main part of the total machineries. It was invented in Mesopotamia in 4200 B.C to 4000 B.C though another form of wheel was found in Ancient Persia in 5200 B.C to 4700 B.C. Potter’s wheel was developed first in Sumerian Mesopotamia in 3129 B.C. Wheels were used by potters in Indus-Valley and in Ancient Egypt. Primarily it was solid wheel made of stone which was very hard to roll. Rock was replaced by wood and spokes and a central whole was placed for the axle. It allowed man to use   instead of hand to roll the wheels. Lathe, an important machine tool, is used in modern time for various operations such as cutting, deforming, facing, turning, drilling etc. to create an object. A lathe can produce screws, bowls, gun barrels, crankshafts, jewelleries etc. Many types of lathes are used in present day such as, woodworking lathes, metalworking lathes, glass working lathes, rotary lathes etc. Lathe was invented in Ancient Egypt in 1300 B.C and in 1400 B.C lathe was found in Greece. Chinese in 600 B.C used rotary lathes to sharpen weapons and tools. Hammer is an important instrument used in factories, engineering and carpenters in modern day. It is used for driving, shaping and breaking purposes. It can drive rivet into wood, crush hard materials and shape solid metals. More than 35 types of hammers are used to meet different ends. Of them machine’s hammer, drilling hammer, electrician’s hammer, engineer’s hammer, carpenter’s hammer, lathe hammer and rock climbing hammer are worth mentioning. Hammer was used in Ancient Egypt in 5500 B.C. Hammer was also used in prehistoric period to reduce hard stone to make polished tools. It was in the form of solid stone without any handle. In Early Bronze Age and in Iron Age hammer was mainly used to crush mineral and iron ores into powder respectively. During Middle Paleolithic Age in 30000 B.C hammer was attached with stick to use as handle. This edition gave better control to steer hammer. 

Car, in modern time driven from engine power, is an invention following the ancient Chariot.  In recent time hybrid cars have been developed which are operated by battery and engine both though few companies have developed only battery operated cars considering reduction of fuel cost. Battery power, battery-engine power and engine power are the updatation of horse power, beast power and man power. Wheels were fixed with wagons to transport men and goods which were towed by men in 3699 to 3500 B.C in Sumerian age. It was very arduous and ‘The beast of burden’ was introduced replacing man power functioning as engine. Bullocks were used by the people on the Indus-Valley and Horse was introduced by the Egyptians for smooth running and rapid speed. So horse power, a popular terminology of the modern day, started functioning as engine of the chariot. In 1046 B.C to 256 B.C the Chinese used this chariot in the battle fields. Charioteers drove it on uneven and rocky roads because of the absence of metaled and smooth roads.  Chariots were developed with gear system in ancient Greece and got new dimension. This motion was accelerated when Romans developed cutting-edge roads and developed highway network. Ship was invented by the Egyptians in the form of sailor-boat in between 3000 B.C and 2500 B.C. Mohenjo-Daro had also many types of ships to sail in the river and the sea. Ships were used for trading by them. The Greek and the Romans used ships for war to colonize the coastal countries. Multiple sails of a ship received wind power for its operation. 

Law of Time reminds that the Modern era will be treated as ancient by the people after thousands of years.

Note; This article is written by Miahn Rasheeq Aosaf, my son, who is Lecturer of MIST, Bangladesh University of Professionals. Please see the edited form published in the Daily Sun.