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Ancient Technology

Dating back thousands of years are numerous examples of ancient technology that leave us awe-struck at the knowledge and wisdom held by people of our past. They were the result of incredible advances in engineering and innovation as new, powerful civilizations emerged and came to dominate the ancient world. These advances stimulated societies to adopt new ways of living and governance, as well as new ways of understanding their world. However, many ancient technology mysteries were forgotten, lost to the pages of history, only to be re-invented millennia later. Here we feature ancient technology history and dozens of amazing artifacts that reflect the brilliance of ancient minds.

Ancient Egyptian god Seth. Source: byerenyerli / Adobe Stock.
23 March, 2023 - 20:00 Robbie Mitchell

The Most Deadly Weapons of Ancient Egypt (Video)

The ancient Egyptians were masterful innovators when it came to warfare, with a diverse and deadly arsenal of weapons at their disposal. From the iconic khopesh sword, with its curved blade designed...
An invocation to I-em-hetep, the Egyptian deity of medicine (Wellcome Collection / CC by SA 4.0)
22 March, 2023 - 19:53 Robbie Mitchell

A Day in the Life of an Ancient Egyptian Doctor (Video)

The ancient Egyptians were pioneers in many fields, including medicine. From dentistry to surgery, they developed a wide range of treatments and techniques that were well ahead of their time. But...
Detail depicting the unusual death of King Edmund Ironside as portrayed in a 13th-century illustrated Anglo-Norman manuscript of the Life of St Edward the Confessor. Source: Cambridge University Library / CC BY-NC 3.0
21 March, 2023 - 23:55 Robbie Mitchell

7 Amazing Ancient Technologies Too Advanced for Their Time (Video)

Throughout history, there have been many civilizations that have left their mark on the world through their impressive architectural feats, artistic creations, and innovative technologies. While some...
Siege weapon in action. Source: Smulsky / Adobe Stock.
21 March, 2023 - 15:57 Robbie Mitchell

15 of Ancient History’s Most Ingenious Siege Weapons (Video)

Warfare has been a constant throughout human history, and with it, the development of increasingly sophisticated weaponry to overcome defensive fortifications. The ancient world was no exception, and...
Nikola Tesla Revealed an Astounding Theory About the Pyramids (Video)
15 March, 2023 - 16:00 Joanna Gillan

Nikola Tesla Revealed an Astounding Theory About the Pyramids (Video)

Nikola Tesla was a brilliant inventor whose contributions to the fields of electrical engineering and physics revolutionized the modern world. However, in addition to his many groundbreaking...
Ancient technology. Source: Pinon Road / Adobe Stock.
14 March, 2023 - 23:58 Joanna Gillan

12 Most Mysterious Ancient Technologies Scientists Still Can't Explain (Video)

The sheer scale and complexity of historical structures such as palaces, temples and monuments can leave us in awe of the engineering, architectural feats, and ancient technology of our ancestors...
Artistic rendering of the Antikythera mechanism, the oldest analogue computer. Source: AkuAku / Adobe Stock.
14 March, 2023 - 19:36 Joanna Gillan

The Ancient ‘Computer’ That Simply Shouldn’t Exist (Video)

When we think of ancient technology, we often imagine simple tools and primitive machinery. But what if we told you that over 2,000 years ago, the ancient Greeks had built the world’s oldest computer...
Example of a long-tailed macaque using a stone tool to access food. Source: © Lydia V. Luncz/Science
13 March, 2023 - 21:55 Nathan Falde

Is Archaeology Getting it Wrong? ‘Ancient Stone Tools’ Accidentally Made by Modern Monkeys

Archaeologists from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology have announced their discovery of stone fragments that closely resemble ancient stone tools made by prehistoric humans. What...
A chance discovery revealed that the world’s oldest swords were linked to another mislabeled sword in Italy. Father Serafino Jamourlian and Vittoria Dall'Armellina showing the sword. (Ca' Foscari University of Venice)
13 March, 2023 - 17:52 Sahir

Metallurgy Prowess Revealed by World’s Oldest Swords Discovered in Turkey

A selection of ancient swords, discovered at the Turkish archaeological site of Arslantepe, are believed to be the first and oldest swords in the world. Dating back to the Early Bronze Age, these 5,...
Replica of Capilla stelae. Source: Ralph Araque Gonzalez / University of Freiburg
11 March, 2023 - 13:57 Nathan Falde

Proof Bronze Age Iberians Made Steel Tools 1,000 Years Before the Romans!

A study of elaborate 2,900-year-old carvings in stone monuments found in Portugal has revealed a rather amazing fact. It seems these Late Bronze Age engravings could only have been made with hardened...
The Iron Age comb found in Cambridge, UK. Source: MOLA
4 March, 2023 - 13:51 Nathan Falde

Iron Age 'Comb' Made from Human Skull Discovered Near Cambridge

While sorting through some 280,000 artifacts excavated from land reserved for a highway construction project running from Cambridge to the village of Huntingdon in eastern England, archaeologists...
Roman defensive spikes found at Bad Ems. Source: Frederic Auth/Aktuelles Uni
1 March, 2023 - 13:49 ashley cowie

Caesar’s Savage Human Skewers Unearthed In German Fort

Was this German silver mine really defended by two Roman forts and a line of "spike defenses”? Or, were the Romans protecting something even more valuable than silver? Having spent several months in...
A Byzantine ship using Greek fire against an enemy ship. Source: Public Domain
28 February, 2023 - 00:54 Lex Leigh

A Blazing Weapon: Unraveling the Mystery of Greek Fire

In the shadowy world of ancient warfare, one weapon stood out as a true marvel: Greek fire. In the 7th century AD, the Byzantine Empire harnessed the power of fire with the creation of Greek fire, a...
Replicas of the stone points made by the researchers using local flint, and incorporated them into spears and arrows. Source: Ludovic Slimak/Nature
23 February, 2023 - 21:56 Nathan Falde

New Evidence Shows Humans Were Using Bows and Arrows in 52,000 BC

Did the very first humans that reached Europe hunt with bows and arrows? A new study appearing in the journal Science Advances claims that they did, and that this happened 54,000 years ago in...
Broken parts of the flush toilet unearthed from the Yueyang archaeological site in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. Source: China Daily.
18 February, 2023 - 17:57 Sahir

The Royal Flush: 2,400-Year-Old Toilet Used by Emperors Unearthed in China

Archaeologists have unearthed the bottom half of a manual flush toilet that dates back 2,400 years in the Yueyang archaeological site in China’s Shaanxi province. Yueyang served as a capital city...
Examples of an Oldowan percussive tool, core and flakes dating from roughly 2.9 million years ago and found at the Nyayanga site in Kenya are seen in this undated handout image. Source: T.W. Plummer, J.S. Oliver, and E. M. Finestone/Homa Peninsula Paleoanthropology Project
10 February, 2023 - 21:56 Nathan Falde

Results of Kenyan Dig Suggest Africa’s First Toolmakers Were Not Human

A multi-year series of excavations at a site near Lake Victoria in Kenya unearthed a collection of Oldowan stone tools that are likely the oldest ever found on Earth, dating back to the Pliocene...
A Bellarmine jug found on the seabed near the wreck of the Dutch warship Klein Hollandia, identified off the coast of Eastbourne, England. Source: © James Clark
31 January, 2023 - 13:49 Sahir

Wreck Identified As Key Dutch Warship After Centuries Underwater

A Protected Wreck off the coast of Sussex, known simply as “Unknown Wreck Off Eastbourne”, now has a name. It has been identified as the 17th-century Dutch warship Klein Hollandia . Specialists from...
The chariot axle and the Iron Age pit in which it was found. Source: Cotswold Archaeology
27 January, 2023 - 00:54 Gary Manners

Iron Age Chariot Axle Offers A Rare Example of Prehistoric Technology

An "exceptionally rare" Iron Age wooden axle from a chariot or cart has been found in a waterlogged pit in Eastbridge, Suffolk. The fragment was uncovered ahead of tree planting for the Sizewell C...
The buildings of Venice appear to float above the water, begging the question “how was Venice built?” Source: muratart / Adobe Stock
24 January, 2023 - 00:56 dhwty

Architecture of the Floating (Or Sinking) City: How Was Venice Built?

The romantic city of Venice is known by many names, including the floating city, the city of canals and even the Queen of the Adriatic. This city of water was built on dozens of tiny islands located...
Right; A large-area elemental map of a 2 cm fragment of ancient Roman concrete showing a calcium-rich lime clast (in red), which is responsible for the unique self-healing properties in this ancient material. Left; The archaeological site of Privernum, Italy where the sample was collected. Source: Masic et al./MIT News Office
6 January, 2023 - 21:55 Nathan Falde

Why Was Roman Concrete So Durable? Scientists Say It Could Heal Itself

Materials scientists have been working with archaeologists and historians for many years, attempting to unlock the fascinating secrets of Roman Empire concrete-making technologies and techniques,...
Archaeologist records the Elizabethan era ship’s remains on-site. Source: Wessex Archaeology
2 January, 2023 - 21:47 Nathan Falde

Elizabethan-Era Ship Found in Quarry Lake Along English Channel Coast

Marine archaeologists recently removed the remains of a nearly 500-year-old Elizabethan-era ship discovered in the bottom of a quarry lake approximately 1,000 feet (300 meters) from the Kent County...
Collective burial pit excavated at Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. Source: Dimitry Vinogradov/Haaretz
2 January, 2023 - 17:16 ashley cowie

Which “Lost Culture” Created This 2,000-Year-Old Tomb?

An ancient burial mound excavated in Siberia was found to contain 50 bodies and numerous bronze tools and artifacts. This exciting discovery belongs to an as-yet unidentified culture. Krasnoyarsk is...
Ancient warfare tactics were no less brutal than today’s and some were quite innovative. Source: Arhun / Adobe Stock
30 December, 2022 - 13:51 Robbie Mitchell

6 Shockingly Successful Ancient Warfare Tactics

As long as humans have walked the Earth, they’ve been finding reasons to kill each other. Over time, we’ve gotten pretty good at it. It should come as no surprise then that over the years armies have...
Metatarsal bones of a cave bear discovered to bear cut marks. Source: ©Volker Minkus/ University of Tübingen
29 December, 2022 - 17:56 Sahir

Fur Coats from 300,000 Years Ago: Earliest Evidence of Bear Skin Use

Fur coats aren’t just a product of the modern industrial period, but now are seen to have a tradition stretching back some 300,000 years ago, albeit in a different setting altogether. People have...

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