Technology In Early Societies

The Role of Technology in Early Societies

In the absence of technology, it would be extremely difficult for early societies to expand and flourish to their full potential. Since the beginning of history, we have seen technological advances occur in all growing societies. The first example of technology was seen in the early complex societies dating from 3500 B.C.E. to 500 B.C.E. With expansion of societies, we have witnessed advances in technology from peoples from Africa, Southern Asia, Eastern Asia, and those inhabiting the Americas and Oceania. Technology is another method to help empires and dynasties posses advantages in terms of resources for expansion. As a result, technology plays a key role in the building of societies, city-states,
Written records were only found for the dynasties of Shang and Zhou; the Xia dynasty failed to leave behind any written documents. Bronze metallurgy which migrated from Southwest Asia to East Asia, is one of the technological advances that helped displace the Xia dynasty; for the Xia dynasty made little use of bronze tools and weapons. Unlike the Xia dynasty, the Shang dynasty not only implemented bronze tools, but monopolized the material as a whole. As a result, the Shang dynasty controlled access to all copper and tin ores and eventually easily overpowered the Xia who used weapons made of stone, wood, and bone. Mass production of bronze axes, spears, knives, and arrowheads enabled the Shang dynasty to enforce their rule on agricultural societies. This is one example of empires and societies who lack technology; as a result, they are unable to maintain enforcing their rule. Along with bronze metallurgy, horses, wheeled vehicles, and horse-drawn chariots traveled to China as early as 2000 B.C.E. but definitely by 1200 B.C.E. (112). The Shang also used bronze to make fittings for their horse-drawn chariots. Although bronze was the reason for the upcoming of the Shang dynasty, Iron played a role in the fall of the Zhou dynasty. The Zhou dynasty created swords made from iron which proved to be more lethal benefitting from longer and stronger shafts. Iron ores in China are cheaper and way more accessible and therefore almost impossible to monopolize. In the end, subordinates of the Zhou–and their armies–were all equipped with iron weapons; this made it difficult to impose a central rule which resulted in gradual collapse of the Zhou