Mary B Woods

Did you know . . . • People first used skis more than 8,000 years ago? • The first wheels were used in pottery-not for transportation? • Traffic jams often clogged the streets of ancient Rome? Transportation technology is as old as human society itself. The first humans on Earth used simple transportation tools. They bundled logs together to make rafts. They used long poles and flat boards to carry heavy loads. Over the centuries, ancient peoples...

Did you know . . . • Ancient Romans invented a machine to harvest grain? • Farmers in ancient China destroyed the pests that harmed crops by bringing in their natural predators? • The ancient Mayans restored nutrients to the soil by planting corn and beans together? People learned to farm more than twelve thousand years ago. The first farmers used simple technology. They carried water to their crops by hand. They made farm tools from wood and...

Did you know . . . • The ancient Maya built magnificent pyramid-temples? • Ancient Chinese builders created central home heating systems? • One ancient Greek monument was taller than a ten-story building? Construction technology is as old as human society itself. The first humans on Earth built simple structures. They made houses from wood, clay, and animal skins. Over the centuries, ancient peoples learned more about construction. People in...

Did you know . . . • Doctors in ancient Peru performed brain surgery? • Ancient Greek doctors ran medical schools? • The ancient Indians knew how to protect people from smallpox? Medical technology is as old as human society itself. The first humans on Earth used simple healing techniques. They developed ways to set broken bones. They learned which plants were good for treating colds, headaches, and stomachaches. Over the centuries, ancient...

Did you know that people first used road signs more than 2,000 years ago? Did you know that Ancient Rome had its own postal service? Did you know that Egyptian writers used flakes of limestone for scrap paper? Pens, storytelling, alphabets-communication technology is as old as human society itself. The first humans on Earth used simple communication tools. They painted on cave walls with twigs and animal fur. They carved simple pictures into bones...

From chemical leaks and oil spills to toxic pollution and nuclear accidents, environmental disasters are devastating for the people and animals in their wake. Such disasters can destroy the land and wipe out wildlife. They can contaminate buildings and even demolish entire communities. Scientists are still studying the long-term impact of environmental disasters and looking for new ways to mitigate them. With dramatic images and firsthand survivor...

A winter snowfall can be beautiful. But if conditions call for dense snow, freezing temperatures, and bone-chilling wind, you are in for a dangerous blizzard. These blinding, swirling storms can shut down roads and damage buildings. Violent winds can thrash vehicles driving on icy roads. Snowdrifts can pile up to block streets or even cover houses. Blizzards can knock out power and threaten the lives of people stranded inside for days-or worse, those...

Discusses agricultural technology in various cultures from the Stone Age to 476 A.D., including China, Egypt, Mesoamerica, and Greece.

Describes buildings and structures and examines methods and tools of construction in various civilizations around the world, from prehistoric times up until the end of the Roman Empire.

After the last ice age, humans began to settle down and grow their own food. Learn how advances in ancient agricultural practices have aided our modern food system.