Nowadays, we are extremely proud of the existent technology and we have come to rely on it for various things. But what was it like hundreds of years ago? What was technology for the cultures existent back then? Well, as history and archeological findings have shown us, they did have technology and, of course, ancient gadgets. Let’s check out the top 10 gadgets of the ancient world
#1 Antikythera Mechanism
Made almost 2000 years ago, the Antikythera Mechanism is believed to be one of the oldest computers in the world. Found in the ruins of a ship, it was considered for a long time to be clock but recent discoveries have demonstrated it could do so much more. Originating from Greece, this ancient gadget had the ability to predict when a solar eclipse would happen and even could organize the calendar in cycles of four years.
#2 The Coso Artifact
The fact that you would find a spark plug is nothing special. But what happens when that spark plug is actually embedded in hard rock, one that dates from as long as 500.000 years ago? The Coso Artifact has disappeared and it is not to be studied using modern technology. There are three suppositions however when it comes to its origins: one, that it was made by an extremely intelligent ancient civilization such as Atlantis; two, that it came from the future and three, that it is of alien origin.
#3 Baigong Pipes
Located on top of Mountain Baigong, the Baigong pipes lead directly into a pyramid. The interesting thing about these rusty pipes is that no signs of civilizations in the area has ever been unearthed there. This means that the reason for which these have been made is still unknown. However, they are of an uniform size and they do have a special pattern, a salt lake being situated in their close vicinity.
#4 Ancient Sandstone Xylophone
The link between humans and music is older than any of us can imagine. In the early 20th century, scientists have discovered these ancient sandstones and they believed them to have been used for grinding grains. It took a lot of time and a fortunate accident before their real purpose was discovered; it seems that this ancient gadget is actually a musical instrument, this being discovered by accident by an archaeologist.
#5 Roman Dodecahedra
While there are many fascinating Roman artifacts that can easily pose as ancient gadgets, this is by far one of the best. Amazingly enough, it was found in several countries, including Germany, France and Switzerland. Even though many archaeologists have tried to study it, no clear purpose was identified. They were able to identify certain symbols on it there are related to the Zodiac but they are not certain whether it was used for surveying or it just had a decorative purpose.
#6 Mystery airplanes
Discovered in Columbia, these figurines are believed to have been made by a tribe named Quimbaya, somewhere around 1000 CE. The resemblance to an airplane is uncanny, as they have tails, landing gears and wings just like any modern day plane. Scientists have rebuilt models after them only to prove that they worked. There are some scientists who say that these are only stylized fish or insects.
#7 The Phaistos Disc
This ancient gadget is made from clay and it is believed to date back to the second millennium. Just like other ancient gadgets, its origin is unknown and so is the meaning or the intent purpose. The disc has been unearthed in Crete and it has a wide array of symbols imprinted on it, some of which have been identified as people, animals, tools or plants.
#8 Byzantine Tablet
While we rely on modern tablets for a lot of things, so did the people from Byzantine culture rely on their ancient gadgets. This tablet is comprised of five panels that are stacked together and each of them has a frame and a wax coating. It is believed that they were used for making note on inventories or appraisals.
#9 Baghdad Battery
Perhaps this is one of the strangest ancient gadgets to have ever been discovered. While it is clearly a battery, it does not explain why would people who lived in the ancient world need it. It was found in Iraq in 1936 and ever since then scientists have constructed replicas in order to prove that it actually works.
#10 Dropa Stones
These stones are unique ancient gadgets and many people have said they belong to an ancient or alien culture. They were discovered on a burial site in the Himalayan mountains and each of these stones is actually a one-foot wide disc, with a simple hole in the center. The interesting thing about these is that they are extremely old; scientists have placed them to have existed as far as 12.000 years ago.
Modern day gadgets are extremely useful for us. And maybe it was just like that for ancient cultures, relying on the gadgets presented above for every day living.