SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BETWEEN AFRICA AND EUROPE BY THE 15TH CENTURY
SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BETWEEN AFRICA AND EUROPE BY THE 15TH CENTURY
SIMILARITIES
Both Africa and Europe had developed in medicine technology to cure various diseases whereby they use roots, herbs and drugs to cure some diseases like malaria, cholera, etc.
Both societies had developed in iron technology where by some agricultural tools and many things were made both in Africa and Europe; example in Africa iron technology was found in Mwenemutapa Empire, Engaruka and in Britain, France.etc.
Both in Africa and Europe societies engaged in cultivation of crops; for example in Egypt there was a high development of farming activities especially through irrigation system along the river Nile especially during the dry seasons. In Zambezi basin there was agricultural development in which people practiced intensive terracing farming and in Europe there was use of irrigation system and use of scientific methods of farming during enclosure system
Both societies engaged in handcraft activities for example both societies made things like pots, baskets, mats and other vessels for their own development.
Both societies developed in navigation technology for example in Europe there was ship building industries compass direction and compass bearing where by European merchant were used to cut across big seas and ocean while in Africa societies used canoes and dhows as the major means of water transport. For example along Nile river, along the shore of Lake Victoria, Tanganyika, Nyasa.etc. Canoes were used for fishing and ferrying people and goods from one place to another.
Both societies (Africa and Europe) had developed in an architecture engineering technology. For example in the ancient Mwenemutapa Empire around Zimbabwe, Egypt and Sudan there were great architecture technology. for example in Zimbabwe they built 30/20 feet high by using stones and in Egypt at Giza plateau near Cairo the great pyramids consisted of two million of block of stones each weighing more than two tones like in Europe there were big buildings found in big towns of Europe like Paris, London.etc.
Both societies made weapons for self defense, security and conquering weak states; for example both societies made weapons like swords, arrows, axes, spears, machetes, aves, shields and matchet guns.
DIFFERENCES
European societies were highly developed in animal breeding under enclosure system while Africa had not developed animal breeding under enclosure system.
Africans were highly advanced in animal husbandry than European societies this might be even up to now.
European societies were in transition from domestic (Cottage industries) to factory system (big manufacturing industries) than in Africa where there is no any sign of transition to factory system.
European societies were advanced more in navigation technology than in Africa. for example by the 15thC European societies had ship building technology, compass direction and compass bearing which helped European merchant to cut across big oceans and seas to trade with other societies of the world while Africans used canoes to paddle and dhows in order to navigate in big rivers and along the shores of lakes and oceans.
Europeans were more advanced in gun making and bombs than Africans; the gun smiths were better than those of Africa in 15thC. This shows the reason why the Europeans (particularly the Portuguese) managed to defeat African societies easily along the coast of Indian Ocean and managed to establish city-states along East African coast.