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Ancient Roots of Modern Science (December 20, 2002, Two)

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Program Summary

For generations, students have been taught that ancient Greece was the source of the fundamentals of math and science upon which our present-day knowledge is built. Great thinkers as contemporary as Carl Sagan believed that when Greek civilization faded, culture stagnated until the creative explosion of the Renaissance a thousand years later. Such Euro-centric attitudes are receding, however, as more and more evidence comes to light that non-Western civilizations achieved equally significant advancements in mathematics, science, and technology.

Ancient Chinese, Indians, Muslims, and Babylonians developed sophisticated systems of mathematics, alchemy, and medicine that predated similar Western advancements by centuries. The Egyptians, of course, built the pyramids. In the New World, the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations created complex methods of measuring time and constructed impressive astronomical observatories that marked the movements of the universe with astonishing accuracy.

Ira’s guests discuss these formerly overlooked achievements and how our growing knowledge of them will change the way the history of the world is written.

Guests

Dick Teresi, science writer and author of Lost Discoveries: The Ancient Roots of Modern Science —from the Babylonian to the Maya (Simon and Schuster, 2002), and co-author of The God Particle (Delta, 1994)

Jamil Ragep, professor of history of science, coordinator of Middle Eastern studies, and co-director of Center of Peace Studies at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma

Roger Hart, assistant professor of history and Asian studies at the University of Texas at Austin

Related Links and Resources

Babylonian Mathematics
Science News Online, March 10, 2001: "Math Trek: Mayan Mars"
Islamic Science: Useful Links
State University of New York's History of Science & Technology Links
Internet History of Science Sourcebook
History of Mathematics: China
South Asian History
rgj.com, Dec. 15, 2002: "Reno Anthropologist in on 'Earliest Writing' Find"
Ancient India's Contribution to Science and Technology
Ancient Astronomy
New York Times, October 30, 2001: "How Islam Won, and Lost, the Lead in Science"

For Discussion:

• What are the most significant inventions of the different cultures of the ancient world, both in the Old World and the New World?
• Why do you think the achievements of non-Western cultures have been downplayed for so long?
• Ira’s guests point out that a lot of ancient science, such as astronomy, time-keeping, and architecture, was developed for religious purposes—to know when to hold sacred rituals, to honor the gods, to follow the movements of the deities (the planets) in the heavens. Today, however, science is mostly separated from religion. Why do you think that is? How do you think it happened?
• The Aztecs, Incas, and Mayas never developed a practical wheel. How could they have built their huge temples?

Activities

Star light, star bright. DiscoverySchool.com's Observing the Sky is an excellent lesson on archaeoastronomy focusing on Native American cultures. The complete package contains goals and objectives, standards, interesting activities, and thoughtful discussion questions that are applicable to any study of ancient science. Another good source for information on ancient astronomy is Pomona College’s Astronomy: The World pages, which discuss important sites around the world.

My, oh, Maya. The Maya Astronomy page has well-organized, well-written sections on astronomy, mathematics, and the calendar system. Students can compare and contrast the Mayan calendar to our calendar and learn about the importance of 0 in arithmetic.

Tut, Tut. The Virtual Tour Guide shepherds visitors through ancient Egyptian culture, including science, medicine, and mathematics. Unlike the Maya and the ancient Indians, the Egyptians never developed the concept of 0, making their math calculations very clumsy. Construct math problems for the students to solve using Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Islam it is. Horace Mann Middle School’s top-notch Science and Math in Islamic Medieval Culture site explores Islamic scientists’ contributions to knowledge in great detail. Student activities, lesson plans for teachers, and links to other good sources on Islamic science round out the experience. Visit Timeline of Islamic Scientists for a complete listing of scientists and their achievements.

Time will tell. Have students construct time lines of scientific achievements in the non-Western ancient world. Compare the time lines to one another and to an ancient Greek time line to see how ideas developed independently and how they influenced or were influenced by other cultures.

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

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