Introduction
Technology is an extremely helpful companion for human beings. Technology goes with use of certain tools that make the livelihood for human beings smooth and adorable. Through technology the world has witnessed extensive growth in economic development enhancing standards of living for human beings. Through scientific inventions, new ways of carrying out activities have been developed to suit excellence in the world. Technology was not established in one day. It has been a process that has taken adequate time through historical advances in ways of living for human beings. However, the advancement of technology has been taking place in different phases. The different eras that may be used to cite the history of technology are Stone Age, Copper and Bronze ages, Iron Age, ancient technology, and medieval and modern technology.
Stone Age
At the Paleolithic Age, human beings enjoyed a lifestyle that involved minimum use of tools as well as permanent settlements. Therefore, main technologies of this time were connected to hunting, survival, as well as food preparation in this environment. This period was significantly marked by stone tools and weapons, fire, and clothing which were the most significant technological developments during this era. During this era outrigger canoe technology was introduced to the society. This was a tool that was extremely significant for migration which was fundamental during this period. This was a representation of the Old Stone Age (Mesolithic) (Anderson, 2011).
New Stone Age or later Stone Age (Neolithic) marks the period in which inventions in agricultural technology were made. During this period, polished stone tools were made from various hard rocks like Jade, greenstone, jadeite, and flint. Following excessive work in quarries, valued rocks were dug through tunneling underground, which was the beginning for mining technology. Axes were polished to assist in bush clearing as well as establishment of crop farming (Pursell, 2007).
Copper and Bronze Ages
The Stone Age was improved to the Bronze Age, immediately after Neolithic Revolution. This marked the continuation of the technology that had been adopted in agricultural and domestication technology that encouraged permanent settlements. Through these factors, encouraged metal smelting where copper and bronze were the main metals used. They were usually mixed to male alloys to suit the various purposes for which these metals were used (Pursell, 2007).
Iron Age
This involved use of iron smelting technology. It was the actual replacement of bronze. The main reason why it was used to replace Bronze is following its ability to produce cheaper, lighter, and stronger than Bronze. Most Eurasian cultures take Iron Age as the last step before the enactment of written language. Although, it was extremely difficult to manufacture steel following high furnace temperatures required, it was possible to produce it through forging iron. During this time, large hill forts were developed as refuge to be used during war. Most forts that existed during this time were expanded in the Iron Age (Headrick, 2009).
Ancient Technology
Following the growth of ancient civilizations, technology and engineering, acted as stimulation for other companies to adopt new means of livelihood. The Egyptians are extremely contributive to the changes that were witnessed during this era. They developed different simple machines like ramp that was fundamental in processes of construction. The Indus Valley Civilization is a representation of the effect of city planning and sanitation technology since it was highly employed in the city. India followed suit by being at the forefront in the adoption of seafaring form of technology (Headrick, 2009).
Also, people from Mesopotamia came up with the wheel, which was an extremely critical form of invention at this time. They also developed mud-brick and stone form of architecture that were used in making the true arch. These early people were extremely keen to adopt bronze technologies, which were vehemently used in making monuments, tools and weapons. It is during their time that automatic sluices and water screws were developed (Headrick, 2009).
Engineers from Greece were extremely contributive to the improvement of the bronze technology. They had extensive inventions in mechanical technology. Following earlier invention of a wheel, motors that were run through gears were developed through wheel’s technology (Anderson, 2011).
This period marked ancient agriculture which was extremely crucial in the definition of the techniques that were to be adopted up to the current agricultural technology. During this period, agricultural technology had been improved to the manufacturing of machines like tractors as well as wheel-driven pumps that were exclusively fundamental for irrigation.
Medieval and modern technologies
This is mark for the evolution of the Western technology. This is the most modern period of advancement in technology. There are extensive improvements that have occurred during this time and they have caused massive improvements for most of the technology that can be witnessed globally in the present day. It is during this era that renaissance technology was developed with extensive keenness on law and advances in mechanical technology. This is a period when the technology for patents was introduced (Headrick, 2009). This follows a future that was foreseen for improved technology that would be easily copied among different people in the society.
The era is also marked by the Age of Exploration. This is a period when people were willing to travel the world and experience the various unique objects that existed in the globe but they had never been taken keen of by any individual. Pioneers of this exploration period were Vasco de Gama, Christopher Columbus, Magellan, and Cabral. These explorers mainly travelled throughout the world in search for trade areas (Anderson, 2011).
Industrial revolution was also extremely significant for this era. This is marked by the development of mining, transport, metallurgy, and textile manufacturing in Britain. The main driving force for this was cheap source of energy as coal was in high availability (Headrick, 2009).
In the 19th century exclusive advancements have been witnessed in the technology sector. There were amazing developments that took place in the sectors of construction, transportation, as well as communication technologies during this era. Steam engine was introduced to both railway and steamboat transportation. There was exclusive investment by the government in transportation through construction of roads as well as railways (Pursell, 2007).
The 20th century marks extensive improvement in communication and transportation technology. This is enhanced by exclusively powerful investment in study and research on science subjects. Radio radar as well as early sound recording systems was major inventions which paved way for fax machine, magnetic storage as well as telephones (Headrick, 2009). There were also improvements in energy and engineering technology.
The 21st century is mainly marked by electronics technology. Broad band internet has been an exclusive invention that has aided in everyday improvement of technology in this century. Computers have been extremely critical for study as well as research leading to improved way of doing things in the society (Anderson, 2011).
Conclusion
Technology is an extremely critical force in the economy of the world. It is following advances in technology that different historical periods have different experiences. Although, it began long time ago, advances are witnesses for a dynamic world. Massive inventions on tools and processes developed long time ago continue to rein development in the world. Based on the activities taking place in the 21st century, it is agreeable that technology will continue to advance and cite extremely huge impact in the livelihood of different people in future.
Works Cited
Anderson, Steve F.. Technologies of history: visual media and the eccentricity of the past. Hanover, N.H.: Dartmouth College Press, 2011. Print.
Headrick, Daniel R.. Technology a world history. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print.
Pursell, Carroll W.. The machine in America: a social history of technology. 2nd ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007. Print.
