The Role of Technology in Early Societies
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The Role of Technology in Early Societies
In the absence of technology, it would be extremely difficult for early societies to expand and flourish to their full potential. Since the beginning of history, we have seen technological advances occur in all growing societies. The first example of technology was seen in the early complex societies dating from 3500 B.C.E. to 500 B.C.E. With expansion of societies, we have witnessed advances in technology from peoples from Africa, Southern Asia, Eastern Asia, and those inhabiting the Americas and Oceania. Technology is another method to help empires and dynasties posses advantages in terms of resources for expansion. As a result, technology plays a key role in the building of societies, city-states, and economies.
Technology was seen first in the development of specialized labor at the well-known neolithic settlement of Catal Huyuk located in south-central Anatolia. Discoveries dating from 7250 to 5400 B.C.E. have been made of the early manufacturing of pots, baskets, textiles, leather, stone, metal tools, wood carvings, carpets, beads, and jewelry. It is also said that the beginning of obsidian production took place at Catal Huyuk as well. Despite the production of leather, carpets, and beads, there were only three major craft industries: pottery, metallurgy, and textile production (24). Pottery was discovered around 7000 B.C.E. and aided in the storage of food, and other products. The next industry which required some form of technology was metallurgy. Early forms of the trade dealt mostly with copper, only because of its initial natural and pure form. The material could be worked with a simple stroke of the hammer. By 6000 B.C.E., societies had made technological advances with the use of furnaces to melt copper. Soon after this discovery, villages began smelting and casting copper to easily produce jewelry, decorative items, and most importantly tools like knives, axes, hoes, and weapons. Finally, copper metallurgy served as a foundation later for the working of gold, bronze, iron, and other metals (25). During the time period before history is when the first examples of technology surfaced.
Just as in the early paleolithic and neolithic societies, technological advances were observed in the early societies located in Southwest Asia as well. Thanks to the advances of copper metallurgy, bronze metallurgy was developed from innovations from previous generations. Around 4000 B.C.E., craftsmen discovered that copperÐ-in its pure formÐ-is too soft to serve as an effective weapon or tool. Knowing this, next, Mesopotamian metal workers discovered that copper alloyed with tin produces a much stronger material more suitable for weapons and strenuous labor. Even cheaper and much more resourceful than copper and tinÐ-iron quickly became the metal of choice for upcoming empires and dynasties. First attempted by Mesopotamian craftsmen, iron metallurgy was later refined by the Hittites. Early iron products produced by Mesopotamian metal workers proved to be too brittle for effective battle tools. Soon after this discovery, iron production spread through societies of Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Assyria, and other regions as well.
Also in Southwest Asian societies, technology assisted the rise of trade networks with the building of wheeled vehicles and ships. Wheels made their first appearance around 3500 B.C.E. and assisted greatly in long distance trade. Sumerians built wheeled carts and wagons which enabled the transportation of heavy loads of bulk productsÐ-grain, bricks, and or metal oresÐ-over long distances (40). Sumerians also dabbled in maritime ship building; however, the Phoenicians proved to be superior sailors and built the best ships. Sumerians built water crafts which enabled trade with Harappan society via the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. With the domestication of horses next, along with the use of wheeled carts and wagons, societies in Southwest Asia began hitching horses to carts, wagons, and chariots. Shortly after, the Hittites produced a light-weight horse drawn war chariot. The Hittite chariot is so effective because of their invented spoke wheels as opposed to the sluggish Sumerian war chariot which is equipped with solid wooden wheels and spokes. Although these innovations took place in Southwest Asia, similar technological advances were being made around this time in early African societies.
There is no major variationÐ-with the exception of Egyptian pyramidsÐ-concerning technology when comparing early African societies to any of the other early societies. Technology found its use in the occupations held by those involved in woodworking, masonry, leather production, stone cutting, and pottery. Although there was production of metal tools and weapons on a small scale, societies of the Nile were much slower in adopting this technology than their Mesopotamian counter parts. Bronze metallurgy was not implemented in African society until after 3000 B.C.E. when the Hyksos relied on bronze weapons the impose their rule on the Nile delta (72). Egyptians equipped their own armies with bronze weapons only after the expelling of the Hyksos. Iron metallurgy in Africa was prominent. With plentiful iron ores in sub-Saharan Africa, iron metallurgy arose from local experimentation (73). Excavations in Meroe Africa show remains of mass iron production from ancient times. Before 3500 B.C.E., Egyptians traveled up and down the Nile river. With the use of sails, Egyptians found ways to navigate up and down the Nile; and eventually explored areas of the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Aden, and the western portion of the Arabian Sea. The Bantu people of central Africa migrated by way of canoes through the Niger, Congo, and other rivers. Like in South Asia, Bantu peoples mostly used iron for tools in agriculture and cultivation; although, the use of iron tools did help Bantu people in the defense against adversaries.
Early societies in South Asia relied primarily on agriculture and trade. Around 1000 B.C.E. Aryans learned how to produce iron tools. Axes and hoes with iron tips were used around this time by Aryans for deforestation purposes. In South Asia horses were quite valuableÐ-they did not breed well in India. This meant that the societies that held horses in their possession could make great use of horse power when hitched to carts, wagons, and chariots. War chariots proved to be devastating in battle. Houses in South Asia represented the differences in social classes; however, some of the larger, grand scale buildings and houses required a great deal of technological innovations