10 Ancient Technological Discoveries That Changed The World | Unveiled

<h4>10 Ancient Technological Discoveries That Changed The World</h4>

This is Unveiled, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most amazing ancient relics that display great technological innovation.

#10: The Roman Dodecahedrons 

Since 1739, over one hundred copper dodecahedrons have been found throughout Europe. These objects are typically quite small, measuring between one and four inches, and date back to the second century. While they look like something out of a steampunk movie, we have no idea what they were used for. All sorts of theories have been put forth, ranging from the religious to the mathematical. But the truth may be far more mundane. Some experts theorize that they were used to spool knitted gloves, even though they predate spool knitting by about 1,000 years. This theory has been bolstered by modern technology - 3D-printed versions of the dodecahedrons have been made and successfully used to make knitted gloves. 

#9: Zhang Heng’s Seismoscope

Living between the years 78 and 139, Zhang Heng was one of China’s greatest minds. He did a little bit of everything, from cartography and engineering to art and philosophy. Zhang also fancied himself a seismologist (because why not?) and created the world’s first seismoscope. Used to measure the direction of earthquakes, it’s a primitive but no less impressive gadget that demonstrated its maker’s knowledge of directional sensitivity. The device was shaped like an urn and contained eight dragons, which corresponded to eight directions of the compass. When a distant earthquake occurred, a ball would drop out of one of the dragons’ mouths, indicating from which direction it materialized. It’s unknown what happened to the original seismoscope, but various reconstructions have since been produced. 

#8: Roman Concrete

When you think of amazing technological discoveries, concrete probably doesn’t spring to mind. But there’s a reason that Ancient Roman buildings and bridges are still standing, and that’s because they made killer concrete. Roman concrete, or opus caementicium if you want to be fancy, was used in iconic buildings like the Pantheon and Colosseum. The great thing about Roman concrete is that it is basically indestructible, and that’s thanks to two key ingredients - quicklime and a type of volcanic ash known as pozzolana. The ash prevents cracks from forming and spreading, but if they did, the quicklime allows them to self-repair. This is the Wolverine of concrete, and the Romans had it figured out 2,000 years ago. 

#7: The Nimrud Lens 

Back in 1850, English historian Austen Henry Layard was working in the Assyrian city of Nimrud when he found a small rock crystal measuring just over one inch in diameter. The crystal dates back to about 750 BC and now, thousands of years later, is housed inside the British Museum. While no consensus has been reached regarding its function, many convincing theories have been published. One theory posits that it was used to start fires, like a kid playing with a magnifying glass. And speaking of magnifying glasses, well, that’s another leading theory! Some even take this theory further, assuming that the lens was used in some sort of ancient telescope. 

#6: The Lycurgus Cup 

Remember that “is it black-and-blue or white-and-gold” dress? Well, this is like the ancient version of that. Dating from the fourth century, the Lycurgus Cup is an exceptional piece of craftsmanship that was well ahead of its time. The cup’s outer shell depicts the mythical Greek figure Lycurgus of Thrace, which is impressive enough. But the real beauty here is the dichroic glass that was used in the cup. Thanks to nanoparticles of gold and silver embedded inside the material, it changes color depending on the light source. When lit from behind, the glass appears red. When lit from the front, green. The construction of this glass is unbelievably complex. In fact, researchers don’t know how the makers incorporated the nanoparticles of gold and silver. 

#5: The Ljubljana Marshes Wheel 

As unexciting as it may be, the wheel is our technological masterpiece. It’s definitely one of the most important and enduring tools, and if we want to find the granddaddy of wheels, we must travel to the Ljubljana Marsh. Located south of Slovenia’s capital of the same name, the Ljubljana Marshes once housed a community of stilt houses. And in 2002, archaeologists working in the area uncovered an ancient ash wood wheel measuring 28 inches in diameter. Further research showed that this wheel belonged to a pushcart and is approximately 5,000 years old. This makes it the oldest wooden wheel ever discovered. 

#4: Aqueducts 

Humans are masters of ingenuity. If the wheel isn’t impressive enough, may we present aqueducts? If we tried to live in a specific location that didn’t have enough water, we brought the water to us. Aqueducts date back to the Minoans, who likely made the first ones on Crete around 2000 BCE. The Assyrians also constructed complex aqueduct systems in the 7th century BC, bringing water to their capital city of Nineveh. And surprisingly, we’re still finding ancient aqueducts! In October 2023, archaeologists found one in Jerusalem that dated to the city’s Roman period and fed King Herod’s palace. It has been called “one of the grandest and most sophisticated water projects…in the ancient world.”

#3: Lunar Calendars 

The Gregorian calendar, aka the one most of us use, is an example of a solar calendar. That is, a unit of time based on the Earth’s position in relation to the sun. This is in contrast to the lunar calendar, which is based on the phases of the moon. While we now take them for granted, calendars are a brilliant invention, and they were made by our distant ancestors. Some believe that the moon was used to measure days up to 30,000 years ago, and markings on a 27,000-year-old bone baton may be some type of early time-keeping device. And in 2004, the National Trust for Scotland unearthed a monument dating to 8000 BCE that they believe is the world’s oldest calendar. 

#2: The Baghdad Battery 

Did ancient civilizations have a primitive form of electricity? That’s the question at the heart of the Baghdad Battery. This isn’t a singular battery, but a series of interconnected devices - a large ceramic pot, a smaller tube of copper, and a rod made out of iron. When paired with an acidic liquid like vinegar, this device would generate a small electric current that could be used for electroplating or shock therapy. This was the leading theory put forth by Austrian archaeologist Wilhelm König, but most modern experts have rejected the idea. Regardless, a replica of the battery was made on “Mythbusters,” and they were able to generate four volts of electricity. So, while unlikely, it could plausibly be used as a small battery.

#1: The Antikythera Mechanism 

The Ancient Greeks were so advanced that they created the world’s first analog computer. Found northwest of Crete is the Antikythera wreck, an ancient Roman ship dating to the 1st century BCE. This wreck was found by sponge divers in 1900, and inside was the now-famous Antikythera mechanism. The device is intricately designed, containing a complex system of gears and wheels. It was extensively used to study astronomy, predicting the orbit of the Moon, the dates of future eclipses, and the positions of planets and stars. It was also used to track the cycle of the Olympiad, thereby determining the dates of the Olympics. It was an ancient event planner, celestial calendar, and computer, and it’s one of the most fascinating discoveries in human history. 

Are you amazed by these devices? Let us know in the comments below!