Why did Eurasia develop technology faster than Africa or the Americas? Technology Over Time Why did Eurasia develop technology faster than Africa or the Americas?

What inspired change? It wasn’t Barack Obama.

It was the Brain. Duh.

But why was the brain inspired? Necessity - We needed improvements to better complete a task, provide warmth, or create food. (Tools, Clothes, the Plow) Curiosity – We thought it would be interesting to see if we could. (Car, Phonograph, Camera). Luck – We were trying to make something else, or it just happened. (Penicillin, X-Rays, Rubber for Tires, Viagra!)

So, let’s start at the beginning…

The first development for humankind was the invention of the Stone Tool.

Other Important Early Inventions Clothing 500,000 BC Spears 400,000 BC Bone Tools 140,000 BC Wooden Ships 60,000 BC Pottery 26,000 BC Twisted Rope 17,000 BC Woven Baskets 12,000 BC

Then sometime just after 10,000 BC Eurasia developed an advantage… FARMING!

Why? Farmers were settled in one location, making it easier for them to experiment with new ideas, and to take their time with testing. Hunter-Gatherers were always on the move, always working, and did not have the means or the reason to carry certain inventions with them, such as the plow.

Why Else? Once farmers were successful in growing food, and feeding their clans, the populations of those clans grew quickly. More mouths means more food. So there was a need to make more food quickly, without having extra labor (growing population still very young)

Immediate Farmer Inventions: The Granary (like in Dra) – 9500 BC - With the increased production of food, the need to store the extras was a high priority.

Metal Tools 8700 BC – Copper tools allow farmers to better sow seeds and harvest crops.

Using Animals to Help Farm 8500 BC And we know that with animals comes….

The Plow 6000 BC – This critical device allowed farmers to triple the size of their farms.

The development of Eurasian farming technology inspired them to be inventive in other areas of life as well.

Thus, the Vast Majority of Inventions Were Coming out of Eurasia: 6000 BC Irrigation 5500 BC Wheel + Axle 4000 BC Stone Paved Street 3630 BC Silk Cloth 3500 BC WRITING 3000 BC Sailboats 3000 BC Rice 2950 BC Cement 2700 BC Plumbing 2600 BC Chariot 2000 BC Coined Money 2000 BC Ink 1900 BC Iron Tools 1850 BC Glass

Africa and the Americas were being left behind…

Sure, they had inventions too… African and Native American tribes invented: The most accurate calendar in the world Their own farming system – though thousands of years after Eurasia Metal tools Their own irrigation systems for watering crops Methods of Astronomy

But…. In terms of world dominance… They lacked armor, steel, sailboats, paper, crossbows, swords, a compass, rubber, oil Lanterns, cannons and Gunpowder.

Technology Gave Eurasia the Edge!

Putting it Together: Eurasia Contained the two earliest food production centers: Fertile Crescent (Middle East), and China. East-West axis allowed for spread of ideas, and inventions Fewest geographic and ecological barriers to spread of ideas (i.e. Panama narrowness, harsh climate change from southern South America to Great Plains). Because of the axis and the lack of geographic barriers technology accelerated here faster, and thus, Eurasia had the greatest number of new technologies. By 1492 Eurasia has a HUGE technological lead on the Americas and Africa – not because of culture, or human intellect, or race, but because of distinctive geography.