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(6th century B.C. to 20th century A.D.)

This dynasty, also called the Achaemenid Empire, was a global hub
of culture, religion, science, art and technology for more than 200
years before it fell to the invading armies of Alexander the Great.

Founded by Cyrus the Great around 550 B.C., became one of

the largest empires in history, stretching from Europe’s Balkan
Peninsula in the West to India’s Indus Valley in the East.

The Persian Empire started as a collection of semi-nomadic

tribes who raised sheep, goats and cattle on the Iranian plateau.

The Persians were known for their art in many forms including
metalwork, rock carvings, weaving and architecture.
GOLDEN CHARIOT
CYRUS THE GREAT
 After his father’s death, he ruled
the Achaemenid dynasty and expanded it into a mighty empire.

One of the triumphs of Cyrus is his conquest of Babylon. He was

without opposition from the Babylonians as he was also known
to spare anyone who yielded to him.

His reign was “benevolent” in nature as he involved

Medes (conquered kingdom) in the government, adapted
the habits of dress and ornamentation from Elamites and
he returned images of gods that had been seized in
battle and hoarded in Babylon.
After conquering Babylon, Cyrus the Great
freed slaves and declared that all people had
the right to choose their own religion and
established racial equality. This declaration
KRISTIN BAIRD RATTINI, National Geographic
was recorded in the Cyrus Cylinder.
 Abu Bakr al-Razi, a Persian
astronomer, mathematician, and geographer, was the first to
discover sulfuric acid.

A gently sloping underground channel

that carries water from an aquifer or water well to
houses and fields. It is used for the irrigation of
an ancient crops and for drinking water.
evaporation cooler which has a two-
fold meaning: yakh means “ice” Was first invented in Iran in
and chal means “pit.” about 3000 BC. It is one of the oldest surviving board
games. Excavations at Shahr-e Sukhteh in Iran found
a board game with two dice and 60 checkers.

writing system of
the Persian people dates from as early as the 2nd
century BCE, some scholars believe, and was in use A ceramic pot, a metal tube,
until the advent of Islam (7th century CE). and a rod of a different metal
were used to create the
Parthian Battery.
Riders and horse-drawn
wagons carried mail that consisted mostly of
governmental dispatches from one place to another.

It was an important
component of the Achaemenid state administration. Under Cyrus II
and Cambyses, subjects were mostly obliged to deliver only gifts,
and regular taxes were first introduced under the rule of Darius I.
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The Apadana (hypostyle receiving hall), Trachara (Palace of Darius I), Council Hall, Treasury,
Throne Hall, Palace of Xerxes I, Harem of Xerxes I, Gate of All Nations, Tomb of the King
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 However, ancient Greek colonists
established cities all around the Mediterranean and along
the coast of the Black Sea.
Greece is a landscape of mountains The origin of science is ascribed
and sea. Land useful for farming to Greek natural philosophers.
is found in valley bottoms, They borrowed from, and built
hedged in by steep slopes, or on upon, the work of Mesopotamians
small islands, confined by water. and Egyptians.

Archaic Greece (700-480 BC) The classical period brought with

saw advances in art, poetry and it a series of political reforms that
technology, but is known as the created the system of Ancient Greek
age in which the polis, or city- democracy known as demokratia,
state, was invented. or “rule by the people.”

ZEUS STATUE
GREEK AMPHORA
–David Deming, Science and Technology in World History
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At the center of the city was the “Agora” – the central space
where public meetings were held, and where traders set up
their stalls. The agora was often flanked by colonnades.
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Philosophers enjoyed intellectual freedom and there was
a tradition of critical discussion. Pupils were encouraged to
question their teachers. Opinions and personal feelings
were secondary to the pursuit of truth. Concomitant with
intellectual freedom is political freedom.

. Naturalism is
the explanation and interpretation of phenomena
in terms of natural law rather than the interdiction
of supernatural forces or beings. The origin of
naturalism appears to be uniquely Greek.

. By developing
mathematics from a set of empirical rules to an abstract
science of demonstration, the Greeks found that it was
possible to establish a method by which demonstrable
truth could be established. The corollary to geometrical
reasoning was verbal logic, the idea that there were
correct ways of thinking and reasoning. Greek
demonstration, and especially Aristotelean logic, evolved into
the modern scientific method.
David Deming, Science and Technology in World History
(638-548 BC) Developed
the theory (400 BC) Started the science of
of matter based upon water. medicine and is known as the
greatest physician of antiquity
and regarded as the father of
medicine. He stated that diseases
(470-399 BC) Emphasized the have natural causes, and the body
study of human nature in has the power to repair itself. His
relation to society; established name is always associated
the theory of skepticism. with Hippocratic Oath, an
oath traditionally taken by
newly graduate physicians
to observe the ethical
(493-433 BC) Assumed that there were standards of their
more than one kind of matter and profession, specifically
postulated four roots of elements: to seek to preserve life.
earth, air, fire and water.
(287-212 BC) Performed experiments (384-322 BC) Father of
which lead him to discover the laws Biology. Undertook a
of the lever and the pulley that resulted large-scale classification
in the invention of machines which of plants and animals and
could easily move loads. He calculated introduced a method of scientific
the value of pi. He excelled in geometry, thinking. Studied many areas of
calculus, theoretical mathematics, science like Physics, Astronomy,
hydrostatics and displacement. Meteorology etc. His ‘scala
naturae’ of Great Chain of Beings
one of the first theories in biology.
(100 AD) One
of the greatest
astronomers who founded
the Geocentric Theory and Developed atomic theory;
wrote Almagest. elaborated idea that matter
consisted of atoms.
(497-581 BC) Mathematician,
held Discovered the length of the month
that numbers were basic to matter; which is only one second off from
the Pythagorean theorem. the length the we use today.

Determined that the circumference of

Dealt with the nature of the universe;
the earth was 28000 miles, which is
ascribed geometric forms composed of
only three thousand miles more than
bounding planes to the elements of
what we know today.
earth, fire, air and water based upon
their physical properties.
Father of plant science, wrote “History of
Plants” in which he described the forms,
Both mathematician and an astronomer, behavior, morphology and properties of
he discovered new theories about the some 500 food and medicinal plants. Most
way the planets move in their orbits. outstanding botanist of early botany.
 A revolutionary invention and
have been used all over the world for the purpose of
metal shaping, agriculture and most importantly, milling.

This is the study and

practice of making maps. It has played an important
role in travel and navigation since ancient times.

Cold
water only, the Greek believe cold water
toughened the skin. Made use of it in
their many baths and spas.

The Greeks applied their skills

in Math to help describe the
starts and the planets.

Created the concept of time. It is first

Ancient people used these columns to used in courtrooms where the time of the
construct buildings with high roofs. lawyers and the witnesses’ speeches
could be known as soon as the
Types: Ionic, Doric and Corinthian. water supply run out of
the vessel.
 , which covered
the entire Mediterranean basin and much of western Europe.*
According to legends, Rome was built by twin sons of Mars, Romulus and
Remus. After killing Remus, Romulus became the first king of Rome,
which was named after him. A series of kings followed in a non-
hereditary succession.

COLOSSEUM Ancient Roman society originated as a society of small farmers. It

grew more powerful and extensive that it became the most urbanized in
the ancient world.

The Roman city was built around a forum. This was an open space
surrounded by colonnades and public buildings. It functioned as a
marketplace, political meeting point and social center.

Roman economy was primarily based on agriculture (grains, olives,

grapes, etc). Romans were also importing grains from overseas such as
Egypt and North Africa.
AUGUSTUS
*Source: www.timemaps.com/civilizations/ancient-rome/
Rome was built on
seven hills, known as
“the seven hills of
Rome”—
Esquiline, Palatine,
Aventine, Capitoline,
Quirinal, Viminal and
Caelian.
*Source: www.timemaps.com/civilizations/ancient-rome/
 Great physician and
surgeon. He influenced
the development of
various scientific
The Roman arch was the foundation of Rome's architectural disciplines including
mastery and massive expanse of building projects across the ancient world. anatomy, physiology,
It allowed the Romans to make bigger buildings, longer roads, and better pathology, pharmacology
aqueducts. The Roman arch is the ancestor of modern architecture.
and neurology, as well
This helped to build
as philosophy and logic.
Rome was
impeccable and lasting structures. The the first empire to establish a sophisticated
Romans used to combine their cement system of circulating written news which it
with volcanic rock popularly known as published the Acta Diurna which translates as “Daily Events.”
“tuff,” enabling the resulting concrete to
endure possible chemical decay. Dating system
established by Julius Caesar as a reform of the
Roman republican calendar.

Described The aqueduct was a channel

almost a thousand used to transport fresh water to highly populated areas.
species of plants,
most of which were Constituting one of
highly valued for their
medicinal uses.
IX the most popular numbering systems still in use today,
the first use of these numbers dates back somewhere
between 900 and 800 BC.
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When the Colosseum first opened, the emperor Titus celebrated with a
hundred days of gladiatorial games. Aside from the games, the Colosseum
also hosted dramas, reenactments, and even public executions.
 The Olmec emerged about 1200 B.C.
OLMEC HEAD and thrived from approximately
800–400 B.C. They lived along the
Gulf Coast of Mexico, in the modern-
day Mexican states of Veracruz and
Tabasco.

The Gulf Coast was a hot and humid

region covered with swamps and
jungles, with many places covered with
giant trees. It receives up to 100 inches
of rainfall every year which caused
rivers to swell that led to severe flooding.

Advantage: abundant deposits of salt

and tar, fine clay for pottery, wood and
rubber. Hills provided hard stones for
making tools and monuments. Rivers
provided a means of transportation
and floodplains provide fertile lands
for farming.
 — —were developing an advanced society to the
Olmec art styles, especially the use of southwest, in what is now the Mexican state of Oaxaca (wuh•HAH•kah).
the jaguar motif, can be seen in the For centuries, the Zapotec lived in scattered villages throughout the Oaxaca
pottery and sculpture of later peoples valley. By 1000 B.C., however, one site—San José Mogote—was emerging
in the region. Future Mesoamerican as the main power in the region. At this site, the Zapotec constructed stone
societies copied the Olmec pattern of platforms, built temples and began work on monumental sculptures. By 500
urban design. They also left behind B.C. they had developed early forms of writing and a calendar system.
the notions of planned ceremonial
centers, ritual ball games, and an elite
ruling class. The Zapotec left behind a
hieroglyphic writing system and
a calendar system based on the
movement of the sun. They are
noted as the Americas’ first city
builders. Monte Albán (site)
combined ceremonial grandeur
with residential living space. This
style influenced the development
of future urban centers of
Mesoamerican civilizations.
 While civilizations were emerging in Mesoamerica,
advanced societies were independently
developing in South America.

The first influential civilization in South America arose in the

mountains. Archaeologists named the culture after a major ruin,
Chavín de Huántar, in the northern highlands of Peru. This site
features pyramids, plazas, and massive earthen mounds.

Archaeologists have found

no evidence of political or
economic organization
within the culture. Thus,
Image Credit: NASA they conclude that the Chavín
were primarily a religious
civilization.

Nevertheless, the spread of

Chavín art styles and religious
images— as seen in stone
carving, pottery, and
textiles—shows the powerful ►
influence of this culture.
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The Nazca developed extensive irrigation
systems, including underground canals,
that allowed them to farm the land. They are
known for their beautiful textiles and
pottery which feature images of animals
and mythological beings. They are even
more famous, however, for an extraordinary
but puzzling set of creations known as the
Nazca Lines.
 Painted adobe walls in the Temple of the Moon at
a Moche archaeological site near Trujillo, Peru.

that
were used to grow corn (maize), beans, and other crops. This intensive agriculture
supported numerous urban centers.

The Moche produced sophisticated craft goods, including mold-made pottery

that is among the finest naturalistic sculpture in pre-Columbian Peru. The
Moche also were skilled metalworkers who in their jewelry used chemical
Mask of copper and gold alloy with eyes
of shell, found in the Huaca de la Luna, means to electroplate gold and silver. Moche architecture featured flat-topped
Moche River valley, c. 400 BCE–600 CE pyramids and platforms connected by ramps and dotted with courtyards and plazas.
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