Misc > The Sage's Guild - Historical Discussion

Ancient technology, cultural oddities, and extraordinary Ancient civilizations

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Pierce Elliot:
So I thought this was always interesting. Ancient civilizations focusing year 400 AD and before. There were great periods such as the three kingdoms period of China (don't remember what year that was), the peloponnesian war. Technological feats such as small sun dials, or large sun dials like that in India which is accurate to 3 seconds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jantar_Mantar_(Jaipur)). Or just great cultural feats such as Greek influence going well into India and perhaps even into China ( not completely informed on that subject. please post to correct me). Maybe it didn't go all the way to China but here is that tid bit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-Greeks. It probably actually destroyed some culture rather than create more. Though, I guess up until the European Conquests of the Americas, mass cultural destruction probably hadn't happened before. Well, dunno if you would call the Roman invasions or Invasions of Rome as mass cultural destruction. Dunno the actual extent to what they did.
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So if there are any other great things of the ancient world anyone feels like sharing please post them for mine and others reading pleasure.

EDIT: Looking more into the events of the Indo-Greeks. The idea of the Greek Pantheon, mixed with the dualism of Zoroastrianism, mixed with the Trimurti of Hinduism, added to it the teachings of Buddhism; that must've been one hell of a religion.

AWdeV:
You mentioned them but not their really neat stuff: the ancient greeks had some pretty awesome techno-junk lying about.

Like;
the Aeolipile, a pity they never seemed to have made use of it. (steampunk hoplites mothafocka)

The Antikythera mechanism is stupidly badass as well.

Celtic and Indian metalwork that exceeded later early medieval stuff is very awesome too. I'm mainly referring to Celtic pattern welding and Indian wootz steel here but a more tangible example could be the Iron Pillar of Delhi.

Pierce Elliot:
I guess I locked the topic when I put my phone in my pocket. Huh? Who'd of thought there was an "Unlock" button at the bottom left hand. Anyways. I knew about the Antikythera Mechanism and the Wootz and Celtic pattern welding. The Aeolipile I never heard of. For some reason though I'm not too impressed. I suspected that in a few more civilized societies there were some individuals who would create things extremely advanced for their time. Though I don't think that they were really used too much in the society if at all. If they were though, I would have to withdraw my unimpressed-ness and exchange it for impressed.

As you can see there is a certain aspect of ancient society I'm particularly awed by but I can't quite pin just what it is. Not to say that what you posted isn't impressive. Someone's definitely going to find those things very impressive. For some reason though, I don't. Maybe I need to take anti-apathetic pills or something :lol:.

Palaiologos:
Well if i may add a comment here, which i stress it is not derived from personal experience.

I have a good friend who happens to be an archaelogist, and while a social outcast, he happens to be extremely good in his field. He told me once that there are two mysteries archaelogy has no answer;

1. The discovery of some mycenean era mining tools in northern america in a copper mine of which they estimate 5000 tons(or somesuch can't really remember) of ore are missing. Thing is the northern indian tribes didn't have a clue about bronze working or whatever. And the discovery of a mine indicates a sophisticated economical structure, quite unlike the tribal societies the native americans had.

2. And the discovery of copper wires under the seatings in the temple of Delphi(or was it Elefsis). Since electricity or radio messaging were supposedly unknown to the ancients, one can only speculate for their use.

I should add that neither of us is a Greek version of ancalimon or history revisionist.

Pierce Elliot:
You mean something like http://www.uhcg.org/Lost-10-Tribes/walt3b-Phonecia.html? That is interesting. Might explain the use of the instruments AWdeV posted.

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