Evolution of Engineering
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ScribdTranslationsEVOLUTION OF ENGINEERING
The history of civilization is, in a way, that of engineering. Prehistory has two important periods:
the Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The Paleolithic is the longest stage of prehistory, it covers from
ancient times to the first stone tools. The Neolithic period was characterized by the transition from
tools made of carved stone to those made of polished stone. The discovery of fire was of great
importance and since they could use it to roast some of their food and protect themselves, they
learned to make tools that made it easier for them to hunt animals, such as knives, spears, etc.
The first men remained in small groups and lived in a place until they had made the most of it,
then they looked for a new one; the condition of not having a fixed home was called nomadism.
These groups created a culture that allowed them to communicate through their own language.
Their first shelters were natural caves that they used to protect themselves from the cold and
animal dangers. The bodies of people who died were placed in megaliths, their construction was
on large stones forming a strong chamber covered with earth.
The development of engineering as such began in Asia Minor or Africa with the agricultural
revolution or Neolithic period about 8,000 years ago BC, at that time the groups stopped being
nomads and lived in a fixed place to domesticate animals and cultivate, they developed pottery,
basketry, hand-woven fabrics and knowledge of metals.
Around 4000 BC, with settlements around the Nile, Euphrates and Indus rivers, the population was
centralized and civilization with writing and government began. Over time, science would appear
in this civilization.
The first engineers were architects, who built walls to protect cities, and built the first buildings for
which they used some engineering skills. Followed by irrigation specialists, they were in charge of
facilitating the irrigation of crops, but as the best areas for harvesting were frequently attacked,
military engineers appeared in charge of defending the harvest areas and cities. The importance
that communication has had in development is highlighted. Thus, populations located along trade
routes from China to Spain progressed more quickly because they received knowledge of
innovations carried out elsewhere.
The most important fields of engineering appeared as follows: military, civil, mechanical, electrical,
chemical, industrial, production and systems, with systems engineering being one of the newest
fields.
It was necessity that made the first engineers. The first engineering discipline was military
engineering, which was developed to help meet a basic survival need. Each period in history has
had different social and economic climates, as well as pressures that have influenced both the
direction and progress of science and engineering.
Engineering progressed in stages, as follows:
Ancient civilizations: Romans
535 BC roads, aqueducts, temples were created. Hydraulic cement, pile pumps, pantheon,
Alcantara bridge, drainage systems, water, heating, paved streets, public bathrooms.
Middle Ages
Development of machines and devices to save energy and increase power
Gothic cathedrals, imposing castles, windmills, improved water mills, 700 AD The water wheel, the
hand-operated spinning wheel, and the hinged rudder for ships were created, 900 AD The art of
ship building was given – Vikings; 1200 years AD the title of engineer appears. In China,
gunpowder, paper manufacturing, iron smelting and textile manufacturing were created.
Engineering from 1300 – 1750 AD
1300 AD canal construction, 1450 AD Gutenberg – the first printed book, 1500 AD Books on
topography, hydraulics, chemistry, mining, metallurgy, scientific and engineering subjects were
published, 1452 - 1519 AD Leonardo Da Vinci unveiled his greatest inventions, 1473 - 1543 AD It
was the time of Nicolaus Copernicus (astronomer), 1564 - 1642 AD Galileo – astronomer and
telescopic physicist, 1635 - 1703 AD Robert Hooke became known for the theory of elasticity, 1642
- 1727 AD Isaac Newton, appeared with differential and integral calculus, laws of light
Advances in engineering 1750 – 1900
Advances in mining, manufacturing and transportation, James Watt, created the steam engine,
1780 – 1900 AD The canal network of England became popular, 1823 AD motor-driven railways
were created, electricity was developed as a source of energy (electric battery, electromagnetism,
magnetic induction, incandescent light bulb), and in 1847 the Institute of Mechanical Engineers
was created.
Engineering of the 20th century
Wilbur and Wright made the first flight, Henry Ford created motor vehicles, state highway
systems, sewage treatment, liquid chlorine as a disinfectant, created the Panama Canal, the
George Washington Bridge, the Hoover Press, invented the transistor, nuclear power station,
developed the superchip.