Batteries, flamethrowers and alarm clocks: evidence is found that they were used even before our era!
Modern humanity is developing too slowly in the scale of the entire history of its existence on Earth. In ancient times, one discovery followed another, because every civilization actively developed, mixed with neighboring peoples and sought to conquer the whole world with the help of the achievements of its scientists, architects and geniuses of thought. It is possible to name at once 10 surprising inventions of an antiquity which even the present science explains with difficulty.
1. Batteries 2000 years old
Every inhabitant of planet Earth enjoys batteries today: without them it is already difficult to imagine their existence. It turns out that ancient people fully shared this dependence on a portable source of energy. The museum's collection in Baghdad holds a jug, which is at least 2000 years old. It is made of clay and looks rather unattractive, but inside it is a unique mechanism. The copper cylinder with an oxidized iron rod was poured once with vinegar or wine and produced a power current sufficient for galvanizing gold. Obviously, later the technology of battery manufacturing was lost or classified.
2. Astrolabe with unexplored possibilities
Astrolabe is an instrument for astronomical calculations, which was invented in the 15th century. That's how it was considered to be right up to 1900, when the divers behind the sponges near Crete discovered a mysterious artifact. Among the remnants of ancient statues and plates, found by them at depth, they found a mechanism consisting of strange gears. The inscription on the article said that it was created in 80 BC. At all similarity with an astrolabe, the ancient device had set of the strange functions which explanation did not find even in the XXI-st century.
3. Unique technology of patterned mirrors
Bronze was invented by the Chinese about 2000 years ago. In just a few centuries they came up with a technology that has no analogues today. On the back of the mirror was applied a pattern or a hieroglyph that was reflected on the wall when it hit direct sunlight. The peculiarity of the drawing was that it consisted of hand-painted surface defects, which you could do, armed first with an incredibly powerful magnifying glass.
4. The lamp did not come up with Edison
Scientists have long puzzled over how the ancient Egyptians illuminated the pyramids and underground grottos during construction. The original theory that mirrors refracted light and gave it direction is, in practice, unworkable: the illumination dims already when hit the maximum on the third-fourth mirror. On the walls of Egyptian temples are depicted clay vessels connected to batteries, which gave light. Their device is similar to the structure of incandescent lamps created in the 20th century. Thin copper wires from such lamps were found even in the tomb of Tutankhamun.
5. Prostheses, which are 5000 years old
Egyptian and Greek doctors in ancient times were concerned about improving the appearance of people after losing a limb or an unsuccessful operation. So there was a prosthetics: the first prosthetic sock was created about 3000 years BC. He repeated the contours of his fingers and reliably attached a leather strap.
6. Flamethrower-siphonophora
In 420 BC. in the Battle of Delium, the Greeks tried a new weapon, which they called "siphonophorus" or "Greek fire." It is identical to the flamethrowers, which are sometimes used by policemen of Western countries. The siphonophor was made in the form of a copper tube, from which a liquid combustible mixture based on oil and wine was sprayed with a jet. Such a composition did not make it possible to quickly extinguish the fire and wash the composition off the human skin or the skin of the ship.
7. Alarm clock for Plato
Ancient Greek philosopher Platon did not want to be late for school classes to pupils and asked the apprentice to create a water clock. They issued a sound signal, a reminder that soon the lecture would begin. This invention was adopted by the Romans and Arabs, when they created water alarms, signaling the approach of the enemy.
8. Throw a coin - you will get water ... in the I century BC.
In the I century BC. in ancient Greek churches were installed vending machines in which you could buy holy water to wash your hands before entering the room. After the coin was invested by the visitor in a special hole, the mechanism of the tank immediately gave out a portion of water to the client.
9. Effective sewer system, which is more than 2000 years old
In 600 BC. the inhabitants of Ancient Rome tired of living in mud and impurities - and they conducted the first sewer in the world. The canals through which the wastes of vital activity merged were called cloaca and they were taken to the Tiber. The system developed by the ancient architects was so perfect that part of the old structure is actively exploited to this day.
10. Acoustic gun - not a modern weapon
In 2005, Somali pirates attacked the Siborn Spirit liner, which managed to escape from them thanks to the latest weapons - a sound gun that produces a piercing sound, traumatizing the sight and hearing of a person. However, this achievement of scientific progress has its ancient progenitor - shafar, created in former times by the Israelis.
Around the VIII millennium BC. Near Jerusalem was the settlement of Jericho, which was destroyed by a similar weapon: today it is called the "Jericho pipe". In the Old Testament it is said:
"On the seventh day they went around the city seven times. Joshua said to the people: "Give ear, for the Lord has given you the city!" And the people cried out, and the trumpets sounded, and the city wall collapsed to the ground. "
This is the description of the capture of Jericho, which was destroyed by a powerful earthquake, according to scientists. They say that it was caused by a loud sound, which came into resonance with architectural buildings.