It is difficult to determine what Greek technologies Alexander may have introduced into the East, but during his time many practical methods of gathering information and making life simpler were in use. Mapmaking was one of these methods. At a time when few people knew much about the world beyond their own town or farm, mapmaking, though difficult, was a crucial activity. One method used by the mapmakers who traveled with Alexander was to count and record the number of steps they took each day walking from one camp to the next. Their footstep counts were used as the basis for the maps they created.
The science of metrology (the theory and investigation of making measurements) in Alexander’s time is not well documented. One thing that is known is that Alexander’s conquests had significant impact on the development of this science in the lands he controlled. These regions widely adopted the Greek metrological systems, and the widespread minting of coins under Alexander’s rule made it practical to give the various coins
Names for the first time. The names corresponded to their given monetary value, making it easier to standardize the relative value of goods.
The peoples of the former Persian Empire made innovations of their own during this time. They developed an ingenious method of dispatching royal orders across their vast empire. Between Susa and Perse-polis, they placed high lookout posts close enough for a shout to be heard between them. The local inhabitants with the loudest voices were stationed at these posts as guards. A guard would pass along an order by shouting it across to the next guard, who would do the same until the message had been delivered. In this way, an order traveling the distance of a 30-day journey by foot would be received on the same day.
Another essential technology helped move water from one place to another. Because of the arid climate in which they lived, the people in the Middle East had a great respect for water, which led to the development of a system for transporting water throughout their empire, known as qanats. Qanats were underground channels that carried water from the foothills of the mountains in the north to remote, dry areas, such as the plains regions of the south. This irrigation system linked many wells along its route. The
World History
