Ancient Technology

I don't know about gold, but concrete was a common material in Roman times, It was almost 2,000 years before it was rediscovered.

I agree with you. There is absolutely no reason to believe that man of antiquity was any less intelligent then we are today. And the level technology is not necessarily a good means to quantify this. But, I am certain that there are a slew of cool tools and processes that have been lost to the ages along with the multitudes of cultures and languages.

Originally posted by Constantine XI I think the period post mid 7th century until at earliest the early 9th saw a period of technological regression for parts of western Europe, cut off from supplies of paper to fuel literacy, ravaged by invading hordes and wracked by political fragmentation and de-urbanisation. Artisan and construction skills had to be rediscovered later as people simply scrambled to stay alive and have enough to eat.

Edited by red clay - 03-Sep-2006 at 20:46

There are many, many examples of technology lost. For a start, much, if not most of Greco-Roman know-how got lost in the Latin West and had to be later relearnt through Greek and Arabic copies.

A couple of examples: The loss of knowledge of how to build a south pointing chariot, a well known mechanical cart during Tang, was deplored at Song times.

A Ming emperor ordered excavations to be made to unearth old Han crossbows in order to study their release mechanism.

The Roman crossbow (manuballista) disappeared at the end of antiquity, only to reappear in a crude form in the 9th-10th century.

The Archimedean screw is said to invented at least four times through the ages, and each time the inventor thought he had devised something new - as late as the 19th century...!

The knowledge of the Romans to build with concrete, even underwater, was lost and only rediscovered a thousand years later.

Romans are said to have already built coaches with belt suspensions (there is a replica in the Cologne museum), but only in the 15th century they reappeared. In between were 1000 years bumpy horse cart...

The Roman limes in Germany, a part of which features a completely straight line of circa 60 km  was later believed by the locals to be constructed by the devil himself, because they could not fathom how it was constructed.

America was discovered twice.

etc., etc., etc.


Edited by Gun Powder Ma - 03-Sep-2006 at 21:53

Thanks, if only i knew those at the time of question. I brought up the mysterious construction of the pyramids. I was told that we can recreate them with modern technology so thats not an example of technology degressing. It was only hours earlier before that talk, that I was told that the human mind has only recently stopped evolving due to modern medicine keeping the sickly alive. Hence making us superior to the man of antiquity.

Well the old Egyptians had electriccity and cole energy. they even inventedthe light ball.
http://www.ancientx.com/nm/anmviewer.asp?a=72&

Heres an old mesopotamia battery
http://www.world-mysteries.com/sar_11.htm

There is a lot burned down in Iran, in Alexandria, forgotten in India Egypt...

Back in the early 1800s, I think it was Italy who had actually had a working "fax machine" for its military. But when she was invaded by Napoleon, he cut the lines and and after the war, it was soon forgotten.

Their is an ancient iron pillar in Indian capital Delhi, which was a part of a temple. It was built some 2300 years ago. Its a huge monolithic pillar around 300 ft. tall & stands open in the sun & weather. But it has not rusted in all these thousands of years.

The value of Pi constant was known to ancient indians.

Pythagoras theoram was known to Indians much before pythagoras came.

Indians & Egyptians knew the distance between the earth, sun & moon thousands of years ago.

Medical surgery was performed in India & china thousands of years back. Even plastic surgery was done.

Yes. They also invited aliens from space to impregnate the people living around the Western side of the British defined Indo Pak border with non Indian spermatozoa, which explains the genetic difference theory of your friend Telde.

Moderators, I am extremely sorry for using such words at this forum but posts like above leave you with little options. But I have still tried to use a scientific terminology to avoid sounding bad. But neverthless a rose is a rose, by whatever name you call it, so The mistake has been made definitely.

Sparten I will suggest you at least do a simple google before making ambitious posts.