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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.

Detail of a rattle, 1100-1470 AD, Chimu, north coast Peru, gold or gold-plated silver - Art Institute of Chicago.
11 August, 2017 - 02:01 aprilholloway

Golden Years: Metal Coating Techniques Used 2000 Years Ago Outshine Modern Methods

Ancient technology used by craftsmen 2000 years ago to apply thin films of metal onto their statues surpassed modern standards for producing DVDs, solar cells, and electronic devices. It makes you...
The Medieval ring found in Kavarna, Bulgaria (Image: Kavarna Municipality)
3 August, 2017 - 02:02 aprilholloway

Jewelry to Die For: 14th-Century Bulgarian Ring with a Killer Dose

When a medieval ring was uncovered by Bulgarian archaeologists excavating the remains of the medieval fortress on Cape Kaliakra, near the town of Kavarna on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, they were...
Photo of camping bed found in Tutankhamun tomb. By Harry Burton
2 August, 2017 - 23:01 Theodoros Karasavvas

Why did King Tut Have Possibly the First Three-Part Folding Camp Bed Ever Made?

Researchers have analyzed a model of King Tutankhamun's bed and they have concluded that this was the first ever three-part folding camp bed in history. Experts suggest that the bed provides an...
Representation of a group of Neanderthals.
28 July, 2017 - 01:52 aprilholloway

Toolmaking Teachers? Surprising Skills Shared Between Neanderthals and Modern Humans

50,000-year-old tools made from deer ribs suggest modern humans may have learned tool-making from Neanderthals. Found in the southwest of France, these artifacts add to a growing body of evidence...
All images courtesy of Dr Rita Louise
24 July, 2017 - 18:56 Rita Louise

The Vajra: An Ancient Weapon of War

The vajra is the most important ritual implement of Vajrayana Buddhism. In Sanskrit, the word vajra is defined as something hard or mighty, as in a diamond. It symbolizes an impenetrable, immovable...
Could the Egyptian Ankh Symbol Be Spawned of the Viscera of Bulls?
18 July, 2017 - 18:46 Caleb Strom

Could the Egyptian Ankh Symbol Be Spawned of the Viscera of Bulls?

The ankh symbol has for centuries been a symbol of eternal life, the universe, the divine, and other religious and metaphysical ideas. It was originally used as a symbol in ancient Egypt to represent...
Clay accounting ball with calculi, counters, and evolution of cuneiform. Exhibit in the Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
15 July, 2017 - 02:01 aprilholloway

The Solution to the 5,500-year-old Mesopotamian Clay Ball Enigma

In late 2013, interesting fresh evidence dating back five and a half millennia was found, giving insights into the enigma of the Mesopotamian clay balls. Through use of CT scanning to peer into the...
Ötzi’s Ancient Axe is from Tuscany, Giving Firm Evidence of Neolithic Travel and Trade
11 July, 2017 - 22:48 Theodoros Karasavvas

Ötzi’s Ancient Axe is from Tuscany, Giving Firm Evidence of Neolithic Travel and Trade

Scientists have officially verified that copper used to make Otzi the Iceman’s axe blade did not come from the Alpine region as was initially suggested, but instead it came from southern Tuscany in...
The Flammarion engraving.
9 July, 2017 - 23:12 Sam Bostrom

The Lost Knowledge of the Ancients: Were Humans the First? Part 3: Science in Antiquity

The achievements by modern science are phenomenal. But with our background of spaceships, skyscrapers, wonder drugs, and atomic reactors we are apt to minimize the scientific accomplishments of the...
Part of an ancient Egyptian statue
30 June, 2017 - 01:49 John Tuttle

Boats, Bowling and Moldy Bread: Curious Achievements Ancient Egypt Shared With the World

Ancient Egypt is one on the oldest civilizations in the world and it was also home to many of the ancient world’s greatest achievements. Without their creativity and innovative approach to the world...
10 Innovative Medieval Weapons: You Would Not Want To Be At The Sharp End Of These!
28 June, 2017 - 18:50 Veronica Parkes

10 Innovative Medieval Weapons: You Would Not Want To Be At The Sharp End Of These!

Long before modern warfare, there was a time of knights in shining armor atop equally armored horses fighting for the hand of a maiden or in pitched battle. However, the weapons that these knights...
Water for Camp, depicting the everyday life of Native American women, Charles M. Russell
27 June, 2017 - 14:01 Theodoros Karasavvas

Could Plastic Bottles Made by Ancient Americans be the Cause of their Health Decline?

According to Wired , scientists believe that ancient Native Americans living in California made their own plastic water bottles. However, they probably didn’t know how toxic the manufacturing process...
New Revelations When 3,000-Year-Old Prosthetic Toe is Examined with Cutting Edge Technology
22 June, 2017 - 22:50 Theodoros Karasavvas

New Revelations When 3,000-Year-Old Prosthetic Toe is Examined with Cutting Edge Technology

Egyptologists from the University of Basel have discovered details of production techniques and usage of one of the oldest prosthetic devices in history after re-examining it with the help of other...
Glass beads of all colors found in the ancient city of Ile-Ife.
14 June, 2017 - 23:01 Theodoros Karasavvas

1000-year-old Glass Beads Provide First Evidence of Glassmaking Development in Sub-Saharan West Africa

A newly found treasure trove of more than 10,000 colorful glass beads and evidence of glassmaking tools, makes scientists think that an ancient city in southwestern Nigeria was one of the first...
The School of Athens
5 June, 2017 - 02:08 Sam Bostrom

The Lost Knowledge of the Ancients: Were Humans the First? Part 1

Much of modern science was known in ancient times. Robots and computers were a reality long before the 1940´s. The early Bronze Age inhabitants of the Levant used computers in stone, the Greeks in...
Representation of an ancient Egyptian chariot.
28 May, 2017 - 02:00 David Waters

The Untold History of The Wheel And Its Evolution

The wheel can be considered mankind’s most important invention, the utility of which is still applied in multiple spheres of our daily life. While most other inventions have been derived from nature...
The Antikythera Mechanism, National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece
18 May, 2017 - 18:58 Theodoros Karasavvas

115 Years Since Sensational Discovery of The World’s First Analogue Computer

Every time ancient Greece is mentioned most people automatically think of democracy, the Olympic Games, mythology and philosophy. It seems that not many are aware of how advanced the ancient Greeks...
Some of the original 9 axe heads or “Celts’ plus the spearhead found by the Korstad brothers.
7 May, 2017 - 14:04 ancient-origins

Hobbyist Metal Detectorists Find Hoard of 3000-year-old Axes in Farmer's Field in Norway

Some 3,000 years ago, 24 axes were cached in Stjørdal municipality, about 44 km (27.3 miles) east of Trondheim. They're now seeing the light of day once again. In late April, a sensational discovery...
The Bull by Stuart Yeates.
26 April, 2017 - 18:52 dhwty

Brazen Bull: Gruesome Ancient Greek Torture Device Turned Screams into ‘Music’

The Brazen Bull (known also as the ‘Bull of Phalaris’, the ‘Bronze Bull’ or the ‘Sicilian Bull’) was a type of ancient torture and execution device from ancient Greece. The story of the Brazen Bull...
Catapulta by Edward Poynter
31 March, 2017 - 18:54 Kerry Sullivan

Were Catapults the Secret to Roman Military Success?

The Roman Empire conquered the known world in large part due to its army. The Roman Army was a formidable force of training and discipline led by military minds who established organizational and...
Common Tools or Ancient Advanced Technology? How Did the Egyptians Bore Through Granite?
13 March, 2017 - 17:48 Caleb Strom

Common Tools or Ancient Advanced Technology? How Did the Egyptians Bore Through Granite?

Ancient Egypt is known for many technological and artistic achievements, constructing pyramids and temples, inventing a system of writing, hieroglyphs, and making advancements in medicine, astronomy...
Reconstruction of a polybolos, ancient Greek repeating ballista.
2 March, 2017 - 13:55 dhwty

An Ancient Greek Machine Gun? The Innovative Catapult of Dionysius

The polybolos (which may be translated literally as ‘multiple thrower’) was a type of weapon used in the ancient world. The polybolos has been described as a sort of ballista / catapult that was...
2000-Year-Old Bronze Toy Provides Clues on How the Best Roman Chariots were Constructed to Win Races
15 January, 2017 - 00:48 Mark Miller

2000-Year-Old Bronze Toy Provides Clues on How the Best Roman Chariots were Constructed to Win Races

Toy models have fascinated kids since ancient times and the more realistic they look, the better. One rich kid in ancient Rome had a very special model toy chariot made of bronze. The model was found...
Philip’s Fountain: The Oldest Still-In-Use Hydraulic Work in the World
15 October, 2016 - 00:44 Kerry Sullivan

Philip’s Fountain: The Oldest Still-In-Use Hydraulic Work in the World

The Filippeios Krini (Philip’s Fountain) is a 2,300-year-old fountain that was commissioned by King Philip II of Macedonia. It has miraculous survived in working order to the present day, making it...

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