What do you think is the coolest technology created by an ancient civilization?

Question

What do you think is the coolest technology created by an ancient civilization?

Answer 1

The Gear

Levers

The Wheel

Pully Systems

Plumbing

And of course, the Dishwasher and Washer and Dryer! :)

Our poor grandmothers, and great-great-great grandmothers! :)

Answer 2

Heron of Alexandria's steam engine---the aeolipile-- and his inventions using a form of "computerized" power distribution with weighted ropes or strings wound around an axle and pegs to control which direction the rope turned the axle. And his writings on Pneumatics, Automatons and others...truly a brilliant man.

The Antikythera mechanism ---a 2100 year old  ancient astronomical clock of high precision.

Japanese swordsmiths were using a chemical form of chrome-plating 2000 years ago.

The Bagdad battery

Roman concrete and plumbing.

Archimedes s***w

The construction techniques of the temple buildings at Machu Pichu and other sites...still hard to understand how they made such precise methods of joining huge irregular shaped rocks.

There were many ancient inventions that we just re-discovered.

Answer 3

The steam engine (ancient Greek). I just can't get over that they had little steam powered toys whizzing around, over 3000 years ago.

"The steam engine was invented by Heron, an ancient Greek geometer and engineer from Alexandria. Heron lived during the first century AD and is sometimes called Hero. Heron made the steam engine as a toy, and called his device "aeolipile," which means "wind ball" in Greek. The steam was supplied by a sealed pot filled with water and placed over a fire. Two tubes came up from the pot, letting the steam flow into a spherical ball of metal. The metallic sphere had two curved outlet tubes, which vented steam. As the steam went through the series of tubes, the metal sphere rotated. The Greeks never used this remarkable device for anything but a novelty."

Answer 4

The Wheel!

Answer 5

THE ICEBOX/FREEZER. Sorry, couldn't help it.

The wheel.

Whatever the Egyptians used to build their pyramids besides sheer hard work and piling of sand for ramps.

Answer 6

definitely sewer system

viaducts(why not a goose) sorry couldn't help myself

Answer 7

I'm going to have to go with plumbing and sewers. roman waterproof concrete comes in a close second. modern society didn't rediscover concrete until the 1800's

Answer 8

sewer systems if u could even define it as technology.

Answer 9

Beacons.  By lighting a fire on a hilltop, they'd start a message chain that covered thousands of square miles in just a few minutes.  Watchers on other hills or towers would light their fires to continue the chains.

It's the original IM, but the vocabulary allowed only a message like:  Get ready, the invasion is starting!

Answer 10

How ancient?  Can't go past the axe for a smart tool. The wheel wasn't bad either.