History of Technology

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Course Theory

Τhe course focuses on the history and development of technology, and especially on its impact on applied science and human civilization. Among the topics to discuss, are issues related to the objects of cultural heritage, as well as to the process of their production.

Furthermore, the course analyzes topics related to the thematic fields of the technological evolution encountered in numerous regions and chronological periods, and to the spreading of their technological achievements through the cultural exchanges:

1. Major first technologies related to the primitive human survival, hunting, and food preparation. Use of stone tools and weapons, fire, and clothing,
2. Ore processing technology (Mining and Metallurgy),
3. Fortification works,
4. Hydraulic works,
5. Shipbuilding technology & Navigation from the Mycenaean era, to the Bronze Age and later to the Classical era,
6. Building technology (constructions, lifting machines of the Ancient Greeks, Architecture of ancient Greek temples, etc),
7. Measuring instruments of space and time, tools and machines of the Ancient Greeks,
8. Military / siege technology,
9. “Automatic machines” of the Hellenistic period, engineering inventions and improvements to existing technology, mechanical technology 
10. Technology of Roman times (with emphasis on Architecture – materials, construction techniques, covering large spaces, vaulting, advanced stone masonry technology, advanced road-building, water management, military engineering, civil engineering, calculation of the year calendar, numbering, etc).
11. Technological discoveries of Byzantine times (Byzantine ports, Byzantine urban planning, etc.

Course Practicals

N/A

 

THE SCOPE OF THE COURSE AND OBJECTIVES

The Scope of the Course: The aim of the course: to familiarize students with the history and development of technology, as well as with its impact on applied science and human civilization. Emphasis will be given especially to the objects of cultural heritage and art.

To help students be able to recognize the different kinds of stone, metals and ceramics, to identify the methods of construction by studying the particular characteristics of each method, to know the different tools and their use in the elaboration of the material.

To bring students closer to the Ancient Greek technology, and to help them discover the numerous technological interventions that were achieved.

To enable students into acquiring the knowledge regarding the evolution of the human technological activities related to his cultural development.

Also, the History of Technology aims to foster students’ technological sensibility towards the works of applied science and art.

 Course objectives: The conservation of cultural heritage artifacts requires the knowledge of the technological developments through the human history. This knowledge can form the necessary background for the right approach addressing the cultural heritage artifact. STUDENT ASSESSMENT Language of evaluation: Greek (English for Erasmus students). Language of evaluation: Greek Students’ evaluation (100%): – One written research assignment regarding a selected chronological period and a related technological event/creation of a technological progress (50%), – Oral presentation of the research (50%) SUGGESTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Αρχαία Αθήνα και Αττική, Συλλογική έκδοση, εκδ. Αθ. Ραγιά και ΣΙΑ ΟΕ, Αθήνα 2010. Δημαρόγκωνας Αν., Η ιστορία της Τεχνολογίας, α’ εκδ., εκδ. Μ. Παρίκου & ΣΙΑ ΕΠΕ, Αθήνα 2008. Μπούρας Χ., Μαθήματα Ιστορίας της Αρχιτεκτονικής, α’ τόμος, α’ εκδ. 1999, Αθήνα, εκδ. Σ. Αθανασόπουλος & ΣΙΑ Ι.Κ.Ε. Additional bibliography: Λάζος Χρ., Μηχανική και Τεχνολογία στην Αρχαία Ελλάδα, εκδ. Αίολος, Αθήνα 1993. Ορλάνδος Α., Τα Υλικά δομής των Αρχαίων, εκδ. Αθήνα 1958. Acts Conferences: 1ο Συνέδριο Αρχαίας Ελληνικής Τεχνολογίας, οργ. Εταιρεία Μελέτης Αρχαίας Ελληνικής Τεχνολογίας (ΕΜΑΕΤ) και Τεχνικό Μουσείο Θεσσαλονίκης, Θεσσαλονίκη Σεπτ. 1997, συνέκδοση ΤΕΕ, Εταιρεία Μελέτης Αρχαίας Ελληνικής Τεχνολογίας και Τεχνικό Μουσείο Θεσσαλονίκης , Πολιτιστικό ίδρυμα Ομίλου Πειραιώς, Θεσσαλονίκη 1998. 2ο Συνέδριο Αρχαίας Ελληνικής Τεχνολογίας, οργ. Εταιρεία Μελέτης Αρχαίας Ελληνικής Τεχνολογίας (ΕΜΑΕΤ), ΤΕΕ και Κέντρο Διάδοσης Επιστημών και Μουσείο Τεχνολογίας (ΚΔΕΜΤ), Αθήνα Οκτώβριος 2005, εκδ. ΤΕΕ, Αθήνα 2006. -Additional Bibliography Films/animated documentaries initiated by the Society of Ancient Greek Technology and directed by Professor Emeritus of the NTUA, T.P. Tassios: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJTwxCaOODM animated documentary depicting the construction of Eupalinos tunnel in Samos by the Greek architect Efpalinos (6th c. B.C.) in order to assure the water supply for the city of Pythagorio, initiated by the Society of Ancient Greek Technology, produced by the Technical Chamber of Greece, and directed by T.P. Tassios, N. Mikas, and G. Polyzos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEnz2CJTfbE animated documentary depicting the use of the ancient diolkos portage road across the Isthmus of Corinth initiated by the Society of Ancient Greek Technology, produced by the Technical Chamber of Greece, and directed by T.P. Tassios. In three parts, it shows the transporting of a small merchant ship around the mid- 4th century BC, near the famous Ancient Corinth, referring to its two harbours (named Lechaion and Kenchreae), 7-8 km distance from one sea to the other. Several ships, avoiding the dangerous travel around the whole of Peloponnese, were transferred from the Corinth Golf to the Golf of Saronikos, on top of an eight-wheel vehicle dragged along a stone-paved road (the “Diolkos”), almost parallel to the actual Corinth-Canal. The film describes several technical details of the whole operation, as well as various events such as the visits of the sailors to an ancient Greek Temple and to a tavern, where a hypothetically available Hydraulis (water organ) was played, or to a public fountain encountered along the Diolkos. https://www.blod.gr/lectures/arage-eihan-atmokiniti-antlia-oi-ptolemaioi/ Lecture and animated video on the A brief introduction to the Hellenistic Alexandrian Technology, Egypt and the technological innovations initiated by the Society of Ancient Greek Technology (ΕΜΑΕΤ) and a production of the Public Gas Corporation of Greece (Depa) S.A. (ΔΕΠΑ). (https://www.blod.gr/categories/ lectures, οrg: Bodossaki Foundation) videos from youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDhnOqzOudY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWVA6TeUKYU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML4tw_UzqZE http://www.antikythera-mechanism.gr/events/list https://kotsanas.com/gb/ https://mathesis.cup.gr/courses, https://mathesis.cup.gr/courses/course-v1:GreekCivilization+GC+20B/about (The Open Internet Courses Center Mathesis, 2015 was established as a special part of the University Publications of Crete (PEC) for the sole purpose of creating and free offer to students, professional scientists and the wider public, to online courses at the level of the best international standards.)