History of Science 211b Spring 1998
Ancient Inventions
The dramatic pace of technological change in the twentieth century obscures the surprising fact that most of the discoveries and inventions on which modern societies have been constructed were made in prehistoric times. Ancient inventions tell detailed stories of complex knowledge for which no written records exist. In the first part of this course, we will survey what is known about the technology of daily life in several very ancient societies. In the second part, we will study one important technology, the production of textiles, in detail. During the third part of the course students will work on group projects in the Science Center machine shop, reconstructing an ancient invention of their choice.
Tentative Syllabus
PART I: OUR AMAZING ANCESTORS [SR, part 1]
Jan 27 Introduction
Jan 29 The stone age I: spinning fibers into threads [WW, chapters 1,2]
Feb 3 Machine shop workshop, led by Greg Young: making handspindles [3-5 OR 7-9]
Feb 5 Discussion; planning for oral presentations [AI, general browsing]
Feb 10 The stone age II: primitive technologies (lecture/demonstration by Robert Leverett)
[http://www.flintknappers.com]
Feb 12 pottery, glassmaking, copper and iron working (lecture byDavid Dempsey, at the Museum)
Feb 17 oral presentations: ancient inventions in the Americas
Feb 19 oral presentations: ancient inventions in Asia
Feb 24 oral presentations: ancient inventions in the Mediterranean
Feb 26 Discussion; preparation for NY trip
Saturday February 28: bus trip to New York City [Liberty Street Gallery in WFC (Leonardo exhibition) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art]
8:30 a.m. Bus will meet students at J.M. Greene Hall8:30 a.m. Bus will meet students at J.M. Greene Hall
12:00 noon Arrive at World Financial Center
4:00 p.m. Arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
8:00 p.m. Depart the Met
11:30 p.m. Arrive back at J.M. Greene Hall
PART II: VERY ANCIENT TEXTILES [SR, part 2; WW, chapters 3-11]
Mar 3 Fiber lab [at the Lyman Plant House]
Mar 5 Handspinning workshop: spinning wool on your spindle
Mar 10 The story of silk; guest presentation by students working on the Northampton Silk Project
Mar 12 papyrus, bark "paper", parchment and Chinese paper (lecture by David Dempsey, at the
Museum)
SPRING BREAK
Mar 24 Discussion: textiles in antiquity [FINAL DEADLINE FOR CHOOSING YOUR FINAL PROJECT]
Mar 26 Textiles and industrial revolutions
Mar 31 Textile project presentations
Apr 2 Textile project presentations
APRIL 4 SYMPOSIUM: FROM COTTAGE TO FACTORY
PART III: ANCIENT INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTIONS [SR, part 3; AI; WW, chapter 12]
Apr 7 Discussion of the symposium
Apr 9 "Revolutions" in science, technology, and industry
Apr 14 What did they know and how do we know it? Issues and arguments in prehistoric technology
Apr 16 Natural Knowledge in preclassical antiquity [NN, chapters 3 and 5]
Apr 21 Class Presentations: work in progress
Apr 23 Class Presentations: work in progress
Apr 28 Class Presentations: work in progress
Apr 30 Review of the course
SYMPOSIUM: FROM COTTAGE TO FACTORY (tentative schedule)
9:00 Christopher Clark, Warwick University, "Early Industry in Rural New England"
10:00 coffee break
10:15 Daryl Hafter '55, Eastern Michigan University, "The Paradox of Women's Work Before and After
Industrialization"
11:00 Leonard Rosenband, Utah State University, "From Rags to Reams: Work and Culture in Old Regime
Papermaking"
12:00 lunch for the students in HSC 211b and HST 256b with the speakers and the History of Science
Committe, place TBA
Books: R = required, O = optional
AI: Ancient Inventions, by Peter James and Nick Thorpe (Grecourt Bookshop) R
WW: Women's Work: the first 20,000 years, by Elizabeth Barber (Grecourt Bookshop) R
SR: Supplementary Readings (Copy Cat Copy Shop, Pleasant Street) R
NK: Natural Knowledge in Pre-classical Antiquity , by Mott Greene (Grecourt Bookshop) O
Other Resourses:
The World Wide Web. The Ancient World Web is linked to the Smith History of Science Home Page. From there you can visit many places related to this course. Our Home Page is also linked to such useful sites as
http://www.flintknappers.com
Books on reserve: in Nielson Library, the Art Library, and the Science Library
Journals: there are many, including
Scientific American
British Journal for the History of Science
History of Technology
Studies in History and Philosophy of Science
Science in Context
ISIS
Assignments
1. This course is an unusual mix of reading, writing, talking, and doing; integrating this material will be your task as well as mine. To this end, you will write brief (2-3 pages double-spaced typed) bi-weekly reports in which you integrate the readings, workshops, and discussions. (February 10, 24, March 10, 31, April 14)
2. Class presentations: amazing inventions of ancient Asia, the Americas, or the countries of the Mediterrranean. (Feburary 17, 19, 24). You must prepare a handout and brief bibliography for your presentation. The bibliography must include at least one book or article that does not appear either on the class reading list or on the Web.
3. Lucretius thought that the pinnacle of civilization had been reached in his time (about 95-55 BCE); since then, many other people, in many times and places, have lived with that illusion. You live somewhere, sometime BCE. Write a 2 or 3 page letter to a friend about the amazing inventions you have seen in your lifetime. (March 3).
4. Textile Project (details TBA). Class presentations: March 31, April 2; Due in final form April 3.
5. (a) Class presentations: work in progress -- reproducing ancient inventions (April 21, 23 and 28)
(b) Complete your reproduction of an ancient invention, AND write a brief paper about it. The paper should
have two parts: (i) a description of the invention (and its technological, scientific and cultural
background) and how it works; (b) how you made it. See the Virtual Museum for examples. Due last
day of exam period.
Instructor: Marjorie Senechal -- Office Hours: T 1:30 - 2:30, Th 9-10, and by appointment
Burton 311, x3862, senechal@minkowski.smith.edu