The Ancient World.
The home of
humble huts, stone tools, and…giant sculptures? Running water? Computers?
What’s going on here? Turns out our ancestors knew a lot more than we
thought.
Here are twenty of
the most amazing ancient inventions and designs that baffled
scientists.
Number 20.
The Concho Stonepit
was 1887 when the Reverend James Harvey was exploring West Dunbartonshire
in Scotland.
He dug through
the dirt near the Concho farm - and struck something hard.
It must have been a
rock - except that this rock was larger than expected.
He kept digging
to unearth the annoying object, and discovered that it measured a massive
forty-two by twenty-six feet.
What’s more, it
wasn’t just a random boulder - it was a stone slab that had been placed
there deliberately.
And it was covered
with carved indentations known as cup-and-ring art - one of the
oldest forms of art ever discovered.
What was the purpose of the Concho Stone? Soon,
archeologists from around the world wanted a chance to look at it.
This simple form of
art is done by gently chipping away at the rock surface, and has been
found around the world - but the Concho Stone is probably the most
complete and largest example found.
It’s been nicknamed
the Druid Stone and is believed to have religious significance - but
if people wanted to continue unlocking its secrets, they would have to
take some special measures.
Fears of vandalism
led to it being covered up again in 1965, and it was only reopened
for further study in 2015.
The Concho Stone might be a mystery - but other ancient
inventions were much more useful.
Number 19.
Damascus Steeling the
13th century, if you wanted the deadliest weapons around, you didn’t head
to Europe.
You headed to the Near East, where the swords
being forged were those of legend.
Made from specialized Woot steel, which was
known for its high carbon content, the blades known as Damascus steel
were forged by master smiths into sharp, shatter-resistant blades
that could be trusted to lead you to a victory in battle.
The blades found today
are still in remarkably good condition and have been studied extensively
by archeologists.
So why aren’t they still made today? Because at some point,
the technique to make these blades was lost.
While the blades were
reputed to be the best in the world, they were painstaking to make -
both the process of creating the steel and forging the blade.
Production of
the blades with these unique spiral patterns faded and was all but
extinct by 1900, and the weapons market then shifted to mass-producing
cheaper weapons for high-volume wars.
You might see someone
try to pass their blade off as authentic Damascus steel to weapons fans -
but the odds are you’re getting a factory-made knockoff instead.
But some inventions are just puzzling.
Number 18.
The Roman Dodecahedron
It was 1739 when an archaeologist found the first of the weird objects - a
copper item with twelve flat faces in a geometric shape, with each side
punctured with a hole and the corners being marked by a bulb-like knob.
It seemed like a
curiosity with no real purpose - until another one showed up in a dig in a
completely different country.
In the almost three
hundred years since, archeologists have dug up more than a hundred
near-identical dodecahedrons scattered around Europe from Wales to
Hungary.
Which led them all to one pressing question?
What the heck are these things? While they were not likely
crafted by the same person, the design of the devices is highly similar
and they’ve been traced back to the Roman Empire - which was present in
all these countries.
But no reference to them has been found in literature,
and scientists are still at a loss about what they were used for - if
anything.
Some theories include dice for games of chance, measuring
devices for grain or coins, gauges for water pipes.
The best guess may
be that they were candle-holders - traces of wax were found in some
samples.
But maybe they
were just curiosities - and the Romans were re-gifting them all around the
empire.
Personally, we think the Romans had
invented dungeons and dragons almost 2,000 years ago.
It wasn’t the only Roman invention that seemed to be
more about form over function.
Number 17.
The Lycurgus Cu pit’s
the perfect conversation piece - a stained-glass cup that casts a distinct shade
over anything you’re drinking.
But wait - it
was just red a minute ago! How did it switch color to green? No, this
isn’t another one of those weird things like the dress that everyone saw
as different colors - it’s the Lycurgus Cup.
It might sound like a magical chalice from a book about
boy wizards - and it kind of sounds like it too.
This fourth-century
Roman curiosity is the only complete one of its kind, and is one of the
earliest examples available of dichroic glass.
So how does it work, exactly? The trick is simple - when
it’s lit from behind, the glass appears red.
When it’s lit
from the front, it appears green.
The way it does
this might be the first example of nanotechnology in history.
Tiny particles of
gold and silver are hidden in the glass, and that affects the shading of
the glass depending on the light conditions.
The exact process
isn’t fully understood by scientists - but they might be too busy staring
at the pretty colors and the embossed design of the mythical king
Lycurgus and his war against the Gods.
One thing’s for
sure - whoever the Roman was who owned this, he was probably a hit at
dinner parties.
Credit: JohnbodBut far to the north, another ancient group
was cracking a great mystery.
Number 16.
The Vegvisir Today’s
compasses are mechanical devices, as simple as pointing them in the right
direction and getting a picture of where you’re going.
But hundreds of
years earlier, in the frozen north, a different system may have been used.
It might look
like a collection of strange symbols arranged on eight points, but
it was actually an Icelandic compass known as the Vegvisir.
This device used
eight rune staves that were believed to be magic in the Icelandic
faiths - and was found documented hundreds of years later in their
manuscripts.
But was this compass pointing to something else entirely?
The Vegvisir used eight runes, each pointing in a specific direction -
which happened to be the eight cardinals and intercardinal directions.
With a nail planted in the middle, the sun
would make for a makeshift compass that would let the sun point the
ship’s way.
The exact process
of navigating with this ancient device is unknown, but it’s believed
to be one of the earliest methods of navigation among European explorers
- and was also believed to serve as a symbol of protection by its users.
Hey, if it keeps
them out of storms and headed in the right direction, it just might be.
But some inventions are even more ahead of their time.
Number 15.
The Greek Doora During
the first century CE in Greece, technology wasn’t all that advanced -
except in one building in Alexandria.
The engineer Heron
developed a unique system for the temple to open and close the doors
automatically - not much different from the sliding doors that operate at
your local convenience store! But while the design was similar on the
surface, they were very different in a lot of other ways.
For one thing,
they didn’t slide open at the drop of a hat - in fact, they took
several hours to open fully, making them more of a ceremonial flourish.
But that doesn’t mean the technology wasn’t impressive.
It started by placing a brass pot suspended under a
ceremonial fire, filled halfway with water.
When the fire
was lit, the air inside the brass pot would expand and send the water
flowing into containers below.
These containers
would then drag pulley ropes that would slowly open the doors.
It was an impressive display of the
scientist’s innovation, and Heron apparently also built a set for the
city gates.
It’s not clear how
useful they would have been - but if you were in ancient Greece,
sitting around and watching the magic gates open might have been a nice
change of pace! Across the world, one invention was most impressive for
how large it was.
Number 14.
The Nazca Lines the
Nazca Desert in southern Peru is a massive landscape, and if you walk
along it, you might notice some odd lines in the desert.
It probably doesn’t look like much - something that
easily could have been carved by a plow.
But if you get
higher, touring the area in a plane, you’ll see that these aren’t random
lines at all - they’re carefully carved designs, painting a picture
through making depressions in the desert floor.
By removing layers, this
changes the color of the dirt on the surface and turns the entire desert
floor into a canvas.
Even more impressive? This massive art project is over
two thousand years old.
Whatever this ancient project was, the Nazca Lines are
far from simple.
While some are basic geometric shapes,
this UNESCO World Heritage Site is filled with recognizable designs -
including plants and animals like spiders, fish, birds, monkeys, and
even a human.
Many scientists have
tried to figure out the purpose of these unique lines, and the most
common theory is that they’re religious symbols that might be able to be seen
by the Gods of the Nazca people - although other scientists have theorized
that they might be linked to constellations.
Seeing them
from a plane is a popular experience - although the fragile sites are
increasingly secure to protect them on the ground.
But not all ancient inventions and creations are
stunning.
Some look a lot like
ours.
Number 13.
The Nimrud Lens how many
times do we use lenses in our modern-day life? You might use a magnifying
glass or a microscope to get a close-up view - or you might have a
pair of glasses on you right now.
These curved glass structures bend light in
a way that can assist how we see the world - but this technology may be a
lot older than most people know.
In 1850, English
archaeologist Austen Henry Lanyard was exploring the palace of Nimrud in
what was once Assyria - and found a stunning item in modern-day Iraq.
It was a carved piece
of rock crystal, polished fine and in surprisingly good condition -
and it looked a lot like a modern lens.
And its purpose may have been the same.
While the lens wasn’t as cleanly polished as modern-day
glass lenses, it had an oval shape and the design indicated it may have
been used to focus sunlight.
While it may have
been used as a magnifying glass, the design could also have been used
to start fires easily when it concentrates sunlight on a flammable surface
- something every kid who decided to create an anthill apocalypse
knows about.
The lens is almost
three thousand years old, and today it’s on display at the
British Museum so curious onlookers can investigate - often, through their
own glasses.
It’s not the only item stunning archaeologists for how
long it lasted.
Number 12.
The Iron Pillar of Delhi
It’s far from the most impressive item on this list - an iron pillar
around twenty-three feet tall, with a bell pattern on the top.
At more than three
tons, it’s impressive that it was erected, but far from the biggest
monument out there.
But what stands
out about it isn’t its design - it’s that it’s still standing at all.
Because this
iron pillar was erected by the powerful Gupta emperor Chandragupta
II over sixteen hundred years ago - and looks today like it must have
looked back then, having not degraded or rusted in the more
than a millennia and a half since.
So what’s this iron pillar’s beauty secret? Scientists
around the world have studied it for its anti-corrosion abilities, and
construction experts would love to recreate it.
The key seems to be a
layer of crystalline iron hydrogen phosphate forming on top of the
main iron base, which has an unusually high level of phosphorus.
That’s kept it from degrading even in the intense Delhi
heat and humidity - and means the complex series of inscriptions all over
it can still be read clearly even today.
Today’s iron
doesn’t last nearly as long before rusting - and the pillar stands as
a testimony to the skill of the metal-workers of ancient India.
But some ancient inventions might not have any use at
all.
Number 11.
The Bonich Manuscript
Wilfrid Bonich was a Polish book dealer, most known for his massive
emporium of rare books.
But one book he purchased in 1912 would create
a centuries-long mystery.
It was an old
manuscript, clearly several hundred years old from the material used
- but that was about all anyone could figure out about it.
The writing was
gibberish.
It was filled with colorful
images, but few of them seemed to make sense.
Some drawings were of
people, others were of astrological symbols - and others seemed to be
of plants that didn’t exist.
It would take the best linguists in the world to try to
crack this.
And over a hundred years later, the book known as the Bonich
Manuscript remains a complete mystery.
Carbon-dated to the
early 15th century, it’s written in a language that doesn’t seem to
exist and has been passed among the best codebreakers in the world.
Some think it represents
a lost language or society, others think it might be a highly effective
code.
And others think one medieval prankster
may have pulled off one of the greatest hoaxes in human history.
Whatever the answer,
it’s locked up deep within the book’s bizarre script - which now sits
on display at Yale University for amateur codebreakers to stare at.
Hey, keeps it moving!
Sometimes, inventing for inventing’s sake is its own achievement.
Number 10.
The Aeolipile Machines
during the time of ancient Greece were few and far between, but that
didn’t stop Hero of Alexandria.
The Greek-Egyptian
engineer managed to create a unique device named a Hero’s Engine which
functioned as an early steam turbine.
A spherical
vessel with bent nozzles on each side, it rotates on its axis.
But when steam
is pumped into it, something amazing happens.
The gas comes out of the nozzles after being
pumped into it from a boiler below and the turbine begins to spin from
the pressure of the steam.
Which raises the question - what was it actually for?
The device has something in common with much larger wind and steam
turbines, but this one was too small to provide any meaningful amount
of power.
Some speculate that
it could have been used to predict the weather based on the direction it
was spinning, but that doesn’t factor into the steam-powered element.
The most likely
solution may be that Hero of Alexandria just thought it was a pretty cool
idea and wanted to show off his invention.
After all, there wasn’t any Netflix to
talk about around the ancient Greek water cooler.
But most ancient inventions were created out of a
pressing need.
Number 9.
The Desert Kite
Hunting in ancient times wasn’t easy.
You either tracked
down small game - and it took a lot of rabbits to fill the pot - or you
took a chance at hunting big game.
Ancient hunters would
try to herd mammoths off cliffs, but all it took was one wrong move,
and the big game was bolting into the woods - or worse, turning around
and trampling you.
But scientists now
believe that as much as seven thousand years ago, some clever hunters
may have found a way to tilt the playing field in their favor.
Enter the
desert kites - a deadly trap for capturing live game.
But these animals aren’t being lured with colorful
flying objects.
The hunters would build large walls of stone that would
lure the animals through a narrow neck - that would lead into a
depression that they would be unable to escape from.
The hunters would then descend, able to kill
the animals from afar with arrows or get the drop on them to slaughter
them.
So why kites?
Because when seen from the air, the shape of the traps sometimes
resemble kites with long tails.
While the
traps fell out of favor due to their labor-intensive nature and
the development of better weaponry, they remain an early reminder
that when humans want to eat, they’ll find a way to get their meat.
More and more, scientists are discovering evidence that
humanity was more advanced earlier than expected.
Number 8.
Gobekli Tepe What was
humanity like between ten and twelve thousand years ago? Evidence is
minimal, because few remnants of civilization have been found.
What has been
discovered is mostly rudimentary weapons and cave art, pointing to a
nomadic and subsistence-based society - until recently?
In 1963, scientists
noted an unusual site in what’s now Anatolia, Turkey.
It was mostly ignored
until 1995, when German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt began excavating
it.
And what he found was
amazing - a detailed building dated to at least 8000 BCE.
And what it may have been used for is even more
stunning.
The site, known as Gobekli Tepee, was a massive complex
atop a mountain.
If found in a more modern
city, it would likely be a central meeting place.
But there was no
evidence of agriculture or civilization around it.
This has made
many scientists including Schmidt theorize that it may have been a meeting
place for representatives of different nomadic tribes.
While it’s unlikely to have served any
government function, it’s entirely possible that they worshiped the
same deity and may have used this as a location to pray or leave offerings
for success in hunting and gathering - which would make these ruins
the site of the world’s first temple.
It wasn’t the only time scientists were amazed by how
early things were figured out.
Number 7.
Zhang Hang’s
SeismoscopeZhang Hang was widely known as the best scientist of the Han
Dynasty - essentially being China’s Leonardo Da Vinci more than a thousand
years before there was a Leonardo Da Vinci.
He was a
jack-of-all-trades, and one of his specialties understood the earth’s
forces - particularly destructive ones.
Earthquakes were a
concern to the Emperor, and Zhang Hang believed they could be
understood better.
No one knew the
forces that created them, but Zhang Hang created a device that could at
least start tracking how they worked.
And it wasn’t just a brilliant invention - it looked
cool too.
Believed to be the first seism scope ever built, it was
a bronze urn-liked object that had a swinging pendulum within.
When an earthquake
could be detected, the device dropped a bronze ball into one of eight
tubes shaped like a dragon’s mouth, which then rolled into a toad-shaped
holder.
This would
indicate the general direction of the earthquake - and sure enough, a
messenger would usually come in a few days later and report the earthquake
from the direction Zhang Hang’s device predicted.
The seism scope didn’t
survive the two thousand years since, but replicas have been made -
although none are quite as reliable as literature describes the original.
This next invention was no doubt very welcome.
Number 6.
The Indus Valley
Sanitation Sistema, indoor plumbing.
Without it, things
would get pretty stinky.
It’s a modern
invention that everyone is very happy about - or is it? Surprisingly,
the Indus Valley civilization in what’s now Pakistan and northern India
had a water supply and sanitation system that’s surprised archaeologists
with just how much it looks like ours - and it existed at least four
thousand years ago in the Bronze Age! To start with, the structures
of the cities made from mud and clay included both public and private
baths so people could get clean and take care of business.
But it’s what happened next that’s most impressive.
Underneath the cities was a complex series of underground
drains that disposed of sewage and kept the well water clean.
Many houses had
their own private drains that would funnel waste to a larger drain and
keep it from contaminating the city at large.
If that sounds a lot like a city sewer
system - that’s because it is.
But those are
created by complex metal structures today - which makes it all
the more impressive that cities like Mohenjo-Daro managed to build a
similar system using nothing but bricks and terra cotta.
Feats of construction weren’t limited to the Indus
Valley, either.
Number 5.
Sacsayhuaman Before
the arrival of European conquerors spelled the end of the civilizations; the
Americas were dominated by three powerful empires - the Maya, the Aztecs,
and the Inca of Peru.
All left impressive
legacies, but one feat on the outskirts of Cusco left archaeologists particularly
stunned.
It was a massive
citadel dating back over a thousand years - but the most interesting
feature was built in the fifteenth century.
It was a wall - but
not just any wall.
It showed some of the most advanced construction techniques
in the world at the time.
Archaeologists were stunned by how well-formed the wall
was, without an inch of space to allow for structural issues.
However, the wall wasn’t made with any binding objects
to hold the large stones together.
Rather, the
individual stones had been carefully carved to match up against each other
and form an interlocking design that kept the wall steady.
All the more
impressive given that the Peruvian site is located 12,000 feet above sea level.
It’s no wonder it’s
been designated a UNESCO world heritage site, and the government is
determined that nothing threaten the wall after standing tall for hundreds
of years.
Some items remain a mystery.
Number 4.
The Baghdad Batteries,
batteries.
Not only are they
indispensable for flashlights when you’re camping, but they made your
favorite toy robot go as a kid.
But they’re modern inventions - or are
they? It’s one of the biggest mysteries in archaeology, and it
all started when they were unearthed from modern day Iraq in the 1930s.
They were three
separate objects - a ceramic pot, a copper tube, and an iron rod.
On their own,
they didn’t seem like much - but they fit together seamlessly, and seemed
to hint at a device far ahead of its time.
Was this truly the world’s first battery? Some scientists
say yes.
Wilhelm Koenig, who
worked at the Iraq Museum in the 1930s, speculated that the three objects
might have worked together to form a galvanic cell that would be able
to electroplate objects.
While this was seen as far-fetched, other tests
showed that an acidic element was present in the jar - which meant it could
have been an electrolyte solution that would help to generate a current.
Skeptics, however,
say there is no way to make an electric connection from the device, and
the ceramic pot may have just been a simple storage device.
But no one can
quite explain the other components yet, and the Baghdad batteries still
generate experiments to try to prove their electric nature.
But one invention preluded an age of fire.
Number 3.
Greek Fire Fire in
the hole! Today, warfare is commonly associated with high-intensity
explosives.
However, thousands of years ago it was more
likely to be fought with swords and arrows.
That is, at
least until the time of the Eastern Roman Empire.
It was the 7th
century when enemy ships first came across the Roman ships and gaped
in horror as they unleashed…a flamethrower! The Romans would deploy a
tube and it would not only shoot powerful flames, but the fire would
spread on the water and send the enemy’s wooden ships to the bottom of the
sea.
What was the secret of this deadly weapon? While incendiary
weapons were used before the invention of Greek fire, they were mostly
passive and had to be ignited.
Greek fire was
unique because it was designed to be fired directly.
What was in this deadly cocktail? The exact
recipe is lost, but a partial description involves sulfur and
flammable resin.
But as deadly as
this weapon is, it has its weaknesses.
Arrows and bullets
only go in one direction, but once fire is unleashed, it often acts like
it has a mind of its own.
And that means that
Greek fire might have claimed some of the very ships that fired it.
Sometimes, it’s not the what - it’s the how.
Number 2.
Stonehenge It’s one
of the most stunning sites in the world - Stonehenge, a massive
prehistoric monument in England.
The giant stone
arches in a circle are incredibly recognizable, and are believed to
be a religious site.
Built by a
civilization of monument-builders at least four thousand years ago
and maybe more, they’re highly protected from damage
by tourists - but that doesn’t keep countless people from
getting as close as they can to stare at the giant arches.
And there’s a good
chance many of them are thinking the exact same thing.
How the heck was this built? Stonehenge isn’t one of the
most complex designs on this list - every arch is three large stones.
But in an era without machines, how were the
massive stones - each weighing several tons - arranged so effectively? The
culture left no written records, leading many to wonder if they used
magic to levitate them into place.
To which scientists say - not likely.
Instead, they
point to Neolithic technology for elaborate sleds and pulleys that could have
made it possible for large groups to lift the stones.
The truth isn’t fully known
- nor is the purpose of the site, which continues to spawn wild theories
to this day.
But one ancient invention puzzled scientists more than
any other.
Number 1.
The Antikythera Mechanism
the year was 1900, and Captain Dimitris Knots was on a mission with his
crew of divers to collect sponges.
Along the way,
they pulled up interesting Greek historical objects from the depths,
including statues and pottery.
But no one was prepared for the massive object they
discovered at the bottom of the sea - an ancient, rusted clockwork device
that seemed to be part of a complex machine.
It looked like
something out of science fiction or a Steampunk future - but dating
indicated that it was around two thousand years old.
Had Knots and his crew discovered one of history’s
biggest secrets? The machine had obviously degraded and was brought up in
parts, so scientists can’t be sure they’re getting the full picture.
However, most
agree on one thing - the object named the Antikythera Mechanism may be the
first computer ever built.
An analog device, it
seems to be designed to calculate the location of the stars and predict
lunar and solar eclipses.
It also seems to have a time-tracking
function that would let users know when the four-year cycle of the
early Olympics was coming around.
However, the machine’s remnants are made up of eighty-two
distinct fragments with gears and inscriptions, and no one is sure exactly
how it fits together - although models have been made.
But one thing’s for
sure - the ancient Greeks were working with machines far more
complicated than anyone imagined.