Technology A World History Chapter Summaries

Technology: A World History written by Daniel R. Headrick shows many examples of important technological advancements changing and shaping older and current civilizations. From the domestication of animals to the creation of machines, technology has advanced humanity continuously throughout history. During the early chapters of this book we see how simple examples of technology form new areas of discovery and change in civilizations. Approximately 100,000 years ago the Homo Erectus evolved into Homo Sapiens, a physically identical species to modern day humans. 70,000 years ago the rapid innovation of new technologies, aiding Homo Sapiens, was set in motion.These early Neolithic advancements laid the foundation for future innovations servicing

Certain animals such as goats and sheep provided wool for clothes and dairy products. Additionally, animal dropping created arable land for farming, allowing more food to be grown in one area, resulting in humans not having to continuously search for food. Before the middle ages, farmers had to work together with each other to cultivate fields. Most farmers could only afford two oxen. Well tilled land requires four oxen to properly prepare for crops. This leads to farmers spending more time tending to their land and getting little out of it. The fourth chapter “Postclassical and Medieval Revolutions (500-1400)” highlights the use of horses and technology developed to take advantage of their great strength in developing land and participation in warfare. Prior to the middle ages farmers could not use horses to pull plows because the attachment was meant for the strong necks of oxen and would choke them. When the Chinese invented the horse collar, horses pulled four to five times more weight and could work for longer. With more fields being tended to, more food was available allowing farmers to live in larger villages, leading to the creation of

As a result, in 1714 an equivalent of approximately fifteen million was offered up to anyone who successfully developed an algorithm to calculate longitude within a half degree. Astronomer Royal Nevel Maskelyne developed a method for lunar distancing. From that day forward, ships have carried a similar device called chronometers, creating much safer navigation than ever before. Due to the impressive technological advancements made during this time period exploring, trading, warfare, and safety using boats, became greatly influential as many wars were fought and new land discovered because of ships. Next, the second influential event during the middle of the book was the newly developed use of gunpowder, creating a new era of brutality and warfare. Originally, gunpowder was discovered by the Chinese in the tenth century, but was further developed in Europe and first used effectively in 1420. Before gunpowder was utilized effectively and became an efficient weapon of war, most wars were fought with swords and knights. During the 1400s, Europeans excitedly began fighting with weapons using gun