For all the marvels of the modern world there’s something to be said for things that were created in the distant past that still astound us to this date. With the technology we have today we often smugly think of ourselves as far more advanced than our ancestors. But then we come across something truly astounding from the ancient world and all you can do is be in awe of how such a thing came to pass. And truly, some of these relics from ancient history are far more fascinating then you might believe.
10. The Antikythera Mechanism
Computers didn’t become ubiquitous in our world until sometime in the 1990s. Home computers began showing up in the late 1970s but they were still very rare and very basic. For military and government use, computers went as far back as the 1940s. And then there was the Antikythera Mechanism, a bronze artifact some 2,000 years old located off of a Greek island that appears to be a very simple kind of computer.
Constructed from brass gears and dials held in a clock-like case, the people who discovered it at first had no idea what it might be. The clockwork technology used in it would not be seen again until sometime around the 16th century. After extensive study, a Princeton science historian determined that the device was used to predict the positions of the planets and stars depending on the month. So essentially a complex map of the sky. If you input the date, the device will show you where the sun, the moon, and the planets were in the sky. Basically, a rudimentary computer that helps you calculate celestial positions in a quick and efficient way.
Once the date was input in the device, the precisely manufactured mathematical gears would be able to calculate the angle of the sun crossing the sky and use gear ratios to map everything else. This included positions of the known planets, phases of the Moon, the full lunar calendar, a forecasting tool for eclipses, constellations, and even a countdown for regular sporting events.
9. Baghdad Battery
Discovered in Khujut Rabu, outside of Baghdad, the artifact that came to be known as the Baghdad Battery features a stopper made of asphalt, an iron rod through the centre of it with a copper cylinder around it. If you were to fill the jar with vinegar it would start producing a 1.1 volt charge. Hence the name Baghdad Battery. And in a very rudimentary way, this is a version of what we still use today as batteries. But the fact that it was made two thousand years ago is what is so significant about it.
There were no instructions located anywhere near the battery when it was discovered and no written references to it anywhere else. There has been some speculation over the years as to the nature of the battery and while it’s not generally believed it was meant to actually power electrical devices, it could have been used for a rudimentary kind of electroplating. Beyond that, it’s possible it could have been part of some kind of religious ceremony as putting your hands on it probably would have created a tingly feeling.
8. Nan Madol
There have been a lot of remarkable ancient cities built in our past but Nan Madol located in Micronesia is unique in the world. It is the only ancient city ever discovered that was built upon a coral reef. No one lives in the ancient city today and the locals believe it is a place where spirits roam. The people who used to live there and ruled for over a thousand years were known as the Saudeleur. What they built was something of an engineering marvel.
Nan Madol covers over 200 acres. There are 92 artificial islands that were built between the 13th and 17th centuries. Black lava rock was taken from the far side of the island and used to build up the city. Some segments were as much as 20 feet long and were stacked like logs to build outer walls. How the massive stones were transported is still a mystery although some people have ventured to guess that perhaps it was magic. Given that some of the cornerstones in one building weigh about 50 tons, it’s not too hard to see why some of the locals may have made that guess.
The path to where the rocks were taken from is through some thick jungle. The population of the island was probably about 30,000 people, which makes the undertaking a significant one. Factor in that it’s estimated 750,000 metric tons of rock were used to build the city and it becomes all the more impressive. Just to drive home how hard this must have been, the locals did not have metal. Which means they had no pulleys and no levers with which to move any of these rocks.
7. The Gabon Reactor
One of the most fascinating discoveries in history is one that few people have ever actually heard of before. Located in Gabon, part of western Africa, where are the remains of a natural nuclear reactor. Which is to say nature itself formed the conditions to allow nuclear fission to take place in a way that is almost identical to how it takes place in a man-made nuclear reactor. And it happened about two billion years ago, long before any life existed that could ever have dreamed of creating such a thing.
The Gabon reactor was able to produce about 100 kilowatts of power. Nowhere near what actual, constructed nuclear reactors can make but still pretty impressive for something that just happened by coincidence in the wild.
So how does nature form its own nuclear reactor? The area is where uranium is naturally found and mined to be used in man-made reactors. The conditions were ideal where the uranium was occurring for fission to take place and it continued operating for upwards of one million years. The waste produced by it was even safely contained below-ground for the past two billion years.
These days uranium-235 is the most stable, fissionable source of nuclear power and it represents a very small proportion of all the uranium in the world. However, two billion years ago it was in much higher concentrations which is what allowed this reaction to occur naturally. All it really needed was to be arranged in the correct geometry. Along with some kind of moderator to slow the neutrons down, which is typically water and what probably was happening in these natural reactors, as well as some kind of element to absorb neutrons, a fission reaction could easily occur.
6. Costa Rican Spheres
Many people in the modern world are perplexed by ancient relics because none of them have instruction books so it’s hard to figure out what some people are doing. Few relics meet this description better than the giant stone spheres that you can find scattered about Costa Rica.
The massive carved rocks, the biggest of which weighs 16 tons and is eight feet in diameter, were mostly unknown until fruit companies began clearing space to grow bananas. 300 of the balls have been discovered and no one really knows what the purpose of them is.
The spheres date back to around 600 AD to 1000 AD, before the Spanish came to the area. The purpose of them will likely be forever lost to history and the best researchers have been able to come up with is debunking claims people have made about what they’re for since no one really knows.
5. Scythian Bongs
In the 9th century BC until around the 4th century AD, if you were to travel through the central Eurasian steppes you might find populations of the Scythian people. These nomadic tribes roamed that area and were known as impressive warriors, some of the first to practice mounted warfare. And they also apparently enjoyed a good buzz.
Archaeologists uncovered some 2,400 year old solid gold bongs that had been used by the Scythian people at a site in Russia. The bong still contains traces of both cannabis and opium. This fits with historical accounts of Scythian warriors who were known to both smoke and create a tea out of herbs that were said to somewhat alter their state of mind.
4. The Terracotta Army
The tale of the Terracotta Army is fairly well-known. Crafted for the first emperor of China over 2,000 years ago, the 7,000 soldiers complete with horses and chariots represent one of the most remarkable fines in archaeological history. But what’s a little less well-known about the Terracotta Army is the fascinating amount of detail that went into creating them.
If you’ve only heard of the army in passing or seeing a couple of pictures you may not have noticed some of the more interesting details. For instance, the 7,000 soldiers are all unique. Some archaeologists believe that each one was carved to represent an actual soldier in the emperor’s army. They aren’t identical as you might assume at first glance. They have different hairstyles, different clothing and adornments on their uniforms. Most significant of all when you take a close enough look you’ll see that they even have different ears. Some craftsmen went out of their way to ensure that even the finest details were present to help differentiate each of these statues from others.
3. Dino Mummy
Finding the fossilized remains of dinosaurs isn’t anything exceptionally unique these days. However, the remains of a nodosaurus that were discovered in Millennium Mine in Alberta back in 2011 stand out as something unique in the world. Unlike typical remains which are usually Stone like bones embedded in actual rock, this nodosaurus had been remarkably well-preserved. Essentially mummified, the skin of the animal was still intact.
The nodosaurus, a kind of ankylosaur, was 18 feet long and 3,000 pounds. Researchers believe it likely died near the water before it floated out to sea and then sank into the mud at the bottom where it was preserved.The result was not just the skeleton like we’re used to but preserved armored plates and scales. The full body of the creature after it was uncovered makes it look like a sleeping monster rather than a long-dead fossil.
Not only does this give paleontologists a better understanding of the dinosaur’s armour, some of the remains even included colour pigmentation which can help reconstruct what these animals actually looked like. Up until this point is anytime you’ve seen a re-creation of a dinosaur, the coloration has just been based on speculation.
2. The Lloyds Bank Coprolite
Although you probably shouldn’t Google this, you can take it for granted that there have been very few turds of historical significance. Which is to say when people defecate it rarely becomes newsworthy it’s certainly not a matter of historical record. A notable exception to this is the Lloyds Bank coprolite.
Dating back to the 9th century, the Lloyds Bank coprolite is a fossilized sample of Viking feces. Measuring eight by two inches, it was found beneath the site where Lloyds Bank was building a new location back in 1972. The find was significant because of both the size and the fact that fossilized human waste is actually pretty rare to discover.
The makeup of the fossil shows that the Viking who left it there had a diet that was rich in meat, cereal grains, and some pollen. Also a massive amount of intestinal parasites. Grossness aside, this is an unprecedented window into the life of a Viking at that time. Not only diet but the general discomfort that this man must have been in with all the parasites that were riddling his guts.
Amazingly enough, the coprolite has been valued at around $39,000.
1. The Djoser Pyramid
The great pyramid at Giza gets all the attention from people with an interest in ancient Egypt but there is another pyramid worth investigating and that’s the Pyramid of Djoser. Dating back to the year 2630 BCE, the Pyramid of Djoser is actually the oldest pyramid in all of Egypt. It’s widely believed that this pyramid was the first and most successful pyramid which in turn led to a proliferation of other pyramids. None of them would have existed if the Djoser Pyramid hadn’t been a success.
Given that the engineering feat of building the pyramids for people at that time still fascinates us today, it’s significant that this was the first attempt that was clearly a success. The architect responsible for building the pyramid was a man known as Imhotep, a name you probably recognize from pop culture. That was the mummy in the Mummy movies. He also ended up becoming the Egyptian god of wisdom and medicine. They didn’t just share the same name, this man was deified after he died and became a part of their Pantheon.
The Djoser pyramid is much smaller than the great pyramid at Giza, but it did start a trend and holds a significant place in history as a result.