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9 mind-bending lost ancient technologies (beyond your thought)

9 lost ancient technologies
did you knew

Ancient people were technologically way more advanced than we are today.

Let's have a look at 9 super-advanced lost technologies from our past

1.    Antikythera mechanism (world’s first calculator

2.    Damascus steel (ancient nanotechnology

3.    Vitreum flexile (unbreakable glass)

4.    Mithridatium (magical potion)

5.    Greek fire (weapon)

6.    Brihadisvara temple (a temple made without any cement)

7.    Pyramids (ancient air conditioners) (pyramids are more mysterious than you think)

8.    Iron pillar of Delhi (non-rusting iron)

9.    Baghdad batteries (ancient cells)

Lets elaborate these a bit

#1 Antikythera mechanism (world’s first calculator)

·       Antikythera is an island in Greece

·       divers, in 1901, found an analog computer there

v the purpose of this computer was unknown to scientists for years

v but recent researches say that it was used to find the position of planets, eclipses and other astronomical purposes

NOTE-all this was done with this analog computer for decades, and that took 2000 years ago.

#2 Damascus steel (ancient nanotechnology)

Damascus steel was used to make swards in the ancient Middle Eastern regions

·       this steel is known for its strength and accuracy

·       it can even cut a riffle barrel or cut a falling hair

o   a research in at Germany in 2006 found-

o   the properties of Damascus steel is attributed to nanowires and carbon nanotubes,

This steel is distinguished by the unique pattern of mottling reminiscent of flowing water or a teardrop pattern

We have steels that can outperform Damascus steel

But we still don’t know how to make Damascus steel

NOTE-Damascus steel was called so, probably because it was made or sold in Damascus (capital of Syria)

Or possibly because the pattern on steel resembles with damask fabric.

#3 vitreum flexile (unbreakable glass)

At some point of time, it’s quite likely that you broke your the phone’s screen and wished for an unbreakable glass

A similar kind of glass existed in 14-37 AD Rome

·       the craftsman who invented it made a bowl out of this glass and brought it to the king

·       the king tried to break it, but the glass dented, instead of shattering

·       the king feared that this material would undermine the value of gold and silver

·       The king beheaded the craftsman because of this fear.

#4 Mithridatium (magical potion)

King mithridates created an antidote for almost all types of poisons, from spiders, scorpions to snakes

This antidote consisted of around 73 ingredients

After the king died everyone tried to translate the antidote’s recipe into various languages

But with every translation the original recipe underwent changes

And ultimately the original recipe was lost with time.

#5 Greek fire (weapon)

There are chances that you would have seen some cartoons or movies in which people emit fire from their hands or from any object, burning a lot of things

Such kind of weapons was actually used by ancient Greeks 1300 years ago

·       the Greeks used them to burn their enemies

·       this weapon was so advanced that using it Greeks could even set fire in waters

·       To prevent someone from stealing their weapon, they always kept it top secret.

#6  Brihadisvara temple (a temple made without any cement)

Brihadisvara temple is a temple situated in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu

·       the most astonishing fact about this temple is that it is made without using any kind of cement or binding material

·       the blocks of stones are joined simply by interlocking between them

·       this temple is made up in about 45 acres and is more than 215 feet tall

·       making this huge temple, that too in 1010 AD, certainly involved a technology which is now lost with time

·       An interesting fact about this temple is that it is having an 80 tons stone kept at the temple’s top

NOTE-carrying an 80 tons weight to 215ft high is quite difficult even with the use of modern technology

#7  Pyramids (ancient air conditioners)

The pyramids of Giza have a lot of secrets and mysteries

One of which is that the temperature inside the great pyramids is maintained at 20 degrees (Celsius), regardless of the temperature outside the pyramids

Moreover, the pyramid masonry appears to be machined rather than built by hammer and chisel

Building such a sophisticated architecture certainly involved an advanced technology

#8  Iron pillar of Delhi (non-rusting iron)

The iron pillar in the Indian capital Delhi is known for not rusting even after 1500 years of creation

·       the reason for iron not rusting for so long is that there is a protective passive film on iron, which formed naturally

·       this protective film was made by the presence of second-phase particles and high amounts of phosphorus in the microstructure of iron

·       With alternate drying and wetting under atmospheric conditions, this film was developed.

#9  Baghdad batteries (ancient cells)

Baghdad batteries consist of 3 artefacts:

·       a ceramic pot

·       a tube of copper

·       an iron rod

This can make up a battery capable of delivering 1 volt of electricity

The purpose of this battery is unclear as there were no electrical devices in medieval times

So all we know are theories predicting and suggesting alternate uses of this battery.

Conclusion-

I personally believe that ancient technology was way more advanced then our present technology

We are quite unfortunate, we lost some of these advanced gadgets

So

Which was your favourite from this list?

Do you know any other interesting facts about ancient technology?

Head over to the comments, to let me know! 

 

 

 

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