I now think technology is.....

Reed boats, canoes, and wooden rafts made river and coastal trade possible. Information was first recorded by inscribing marks on soft clay. These cuneiform inscriptions were the first form of writing (see cuneiform writing).

Technology has also influenced the environment. The demand for firewood led to large-scale deforestation. Overgrazing by domesticated sheep and cattle, coupled with single-crop agriculture, denuded the soil and turned additional areas into deserts.

Trade and wealth also stimulated means to measure weight, size (including land measure), and time. The Egyptian calendar that divided the year into months and days still exists with only minor modifications. The transmittal of knowledge and records was aided by the invention of a paperlike material derived from the papyrus plant. Most of the resources of cities, however, were devoted to the military for the development of better weapons and fortifications

Metalware was used for pots and dishes, sometimes with unforeseen disastrous results such as lead poisoning. Among the greatest Roman works were the large aqueducts that carried water for hundreds of miles, roads that spanned the empire, and public sewer systems. Advances in building construction led to the widespread use of the arch by the Romans and to the invention of durable cements and concretes for structures that have survived to the present. Technology also advanced weaponry with the development of catapults, better swords, and body armor.

The social penalty of this highly organized technological effort was the introduction of slavery. Using slaves was simpler than increasing other means of production or seeking better energy sources.