Technology played a pivotal part in the emergence of any civilization, including early Afro-Eurasian societies. Most importantly, to create and support societies, people needed to invent technology and tools allowing them to work with diverse materials, including metal, stone, sand to create glass, natural fibers that could be transformed into textiles, and so on. Possessing at least the most simplistic technology, ancient societies could increase their chances of survival by building primitive houses, using weapons against predators, and procuring food.
Technological developments were also critical since they could help the first societies to control the natural forces to the extent possible, thus meeting the main social needs. As an example, the earliest system of agricultural irrigation used in ancient Egypt around 6000BC helped to meet the most significant need ever – access to alimentary products (Irrigation Timeline). Apart from the basic needs peculiar to survival, early societies required effective methods to preserve and share knowledge, which gave rise to writing tools and techniques, such as reusable clay tablets and gradually complexifying systems of signs in Egypt (Bauer 49).
Particular ancient societies were shaped thanks to technological advancement. As for the civilization of Egypt, the development of knowledge transfer through unique tools (pigments, ancient ink, and papyrus) helped to facilitate communication between the authorities at different territorial levels and create art forms, thus strengthening Egypt and shaping its culture (Bauer 49). The Sumerian civilization was able to proliferate and develop its unique culture thanks to knowledge transfer using cuneiform writing, the first geometrical and arithmetic concepts, primitive means of transportation with wheels, and many other inventions.