印度科學史

印度的科學史始於印度河流域文明的史前人類活動，印度河流域文明早期的印度各州和帝國的史前人類活動。

## 史前時期

到了公元前5500年，出現了一些類似於梅赫爾格爾（巴基斯坦）的遺址，形成了後來的銅石並用時代文化基礎。這些遺址的居民與近東和中亞保持貿易關係。

灌溉在公元前4500年左右在印度河流域文明中發展起來。由於這一創新，印度河流域文明的規模和繁榮度不斷增長，最終導致更多計劃的定居點利用排水和下水道。印度河流域文明開發了更複雜的灌溉和儲水系統，包括公元前3000年在吉爾納爾山的人工水庫，以及公元前2600年的早期運河灌溉系統。公元前5-4千年時，該地區開始種植棉花。甘蔗最初來自熱帶南亞和東南亞。不同的物種可能起源於不同的地方，竹蔗起源於印度，佛手瓜和甘蔗來自新幾內亞。

印度河流域的居民發展了一套標準化系統，使用砝碼和度量衡，這一點從印度河流域遺址的發掘中可以看出。這種技術標準化使測量設備能夠有效地用於角度測量和建築的測量。已知印度最早的船塢之一是在洛塔（公元前2400年），位於遠離主要水流的地方，以避免淤泥的沉積。現代海洋學家認為，哈拉帕人必須擁有與潮汐有關的知識，才能在薩巴爾馬蒂不斷變化的河道上建造這樣一個碼頭，以及堪稱典範的水文和海事工程。

在巴基斯坦的巴拉科特（科特·巴拉）（約公元前2500-1900年）的發掘中，發現了早期有冶金爐的證據。這些爐子很可能是用來製造陶瓷物品的。在巴拉科特還發掘了可追溯到該文明成熟階段（約公元前2500-1900年）的爐。卡利班甘考古遺址進一步產生了鍋狀壁爐的證據，在一個遺址中既發現了地面上的，也發現了地下的。在卡利班甘遺址還發現了帶火的窯爐和窯洞室。

基於考古和文本證據，約瑟夫-E-施瓦茨伯格（2008年）明尼蘇達大學中的地理學專業榮譽教授提出印度製圖的起源追溯到印度河谷文明（約公元前2500-1900年）。自吠陀時代（公元前2-1千年）以來，南亞就開始有規律地使用大型建築計劃、宇宙學圖畫和製圖材料。氣候條件導致大多數證據被銷毀，然而，一些挖掘出的測量儀器和測量棒已經產生了早期製圖活動的令人信服的證據。施瓦茨貝格說：「關於現存地圖的問題，進一步認為。雖然數量不多，但在數以千計的石器時代印度洞穴壁畫中出現了一些類似地圖的塗鴉；至少有一個複雜的中石器時代的圖被認為是對宇宙的表述。」

動物拉動的犁的考古證據可追溯到公元前2500年的印度河流域文明。從哈拉帕遺址發現的最早的銅製劍可以追溯到公元前2300年。在整個印度恆河的賈穆納多布地區的考古發現中，都發現了劍，由青銅製成，但更常見的是銅製成。

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