Secrets of Ancient Civilizations – Part 2: Science and Technology

In the previous article, we explored the impressive architectural achievements of ancient civilizations. In this article, we will turn our attention to their notable advancements in science, along with their contributions to both practical and decorative technologies.

The Pythagorean Theorem

Many of us were introduced to Pythagoras in school, perhaps in mathematics or history classes. This Greek mathematician from the 6th century BCE is widely associated with the Pythagorean theorem, although there’s no definitive evidence that he was its originator. The theorem posits that in a right-angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse (c²) is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides (a² + b²). This principle has proven to be incredibly useful, particularly in practical fields like surveying and construction.

However, historical evidence suggests that the Pythagorean theorem did not originate solely with Pythagoras. Several ancient civilizations, including the Egyptians and Babylonians, appear to have employed the principles of this theorem in practical applications well before his time. For instance, the dimensions of the King’s Chamber in the Pyramid of Cheops reflect a 3:4:5 ratio¹ —relating to the lengths of one wall, the diagonal of another, and the chamber’s overall diagonal.² This implies that the Egyptians may have understood and utilised the Pythagorean theorem over a millennium and a half before Pythagoras.

Babylonian Tablets

Dr. Daniel Mansfield from the University of New South Wales School of Mathematics and Statistics has recently made a remarkable discovery while studying an ancient Babylonian clay tablet, known as Si.427, dating back to approximately 1700 BCE and preserved in Istanbul. This tablet was designed to mark precise land boundaries. Mansfield found that the creators of this tablet employed Pythagorean triples. He also suggests that another Old Babylonian tablet, Plimpton 322, includes a complete trigonometric table, predating Pythagoras by over a thousand years.³

Stonehenge

Moreover, the authors of Megaliths: Studies in Stone propose that the creators of Stonehenge may have understood and applied the Pythagorean theorem in their construction of the monument. John Martineau, one of the co-authors, observes, ‘We see triangles and double squares used which are simple versions of Pythagorean geometry’.⁴

Ancient Astronomy and Calendars

Stonehenge continues to intrigue scholars, especially due to the mystery of its stone transport. Some stones, known as bluestones, were quarried nearly 290 kilometers away in Wales.⁵ Another mystery concerns the raising of the stones to a vertical position and lifting some of them to lay horizontally atop two vertical stones.

The purpose behind Stonehenge’s structure is both fascinating and complex. Its alignment with the sunrise and sunset on key days of the year—namely, the summer and winter solstices and the spring and autumn equinoxes—reveals a deliberate connection to solar events. Furthermore, Stonehenge appears to be aligned with specific points related to the movements of the Moon. The site would have required careful measurement and planning to position the massive stones precisely, indicating that its construction was executed with meticulous forethought.⁶

Heliocentrism?

Ancient civilizations possessed astronomical knowledge that extended well beyond tracking the movements of the Sun and Moon. Records show that cultures such as the Babylonians, Egyptians, and Greeks were aware of five planets visible to the naked eye: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Intriguingly, there are unverified claims suggesting that the Sumerians (around 2000 BCE) may have known of additional planets. Moreover, it is speculated that they might have understood we inhabit a heliocentric system, nearly 1,700 years before Aristarchus of Samos proposed this revolutionary idea.⁷

The Mayans

The Mayans achieved a remarkable level of sophistication in astronomy, developing an intricate system of three interconnected calendars: the religious tzolkin, the Haab calendar, and the Long Count Calendar. The Haab calendar, designated for secular use, spanned 365 days, just like the Gregorian calendar. Intriguingly, it appears this civilization may have understood that a full solar year was slightly longer, estimating it at 365.232036 days—an astonishingly precise calculation, even more accurate than our actual length of 365.2425 days used today.⁸

Precession

Ancient civilizations may have made even greater strides in astronomy than is commonly acknowledged. Hipparchus, a Greek astronomer from the 2nd century BCE, is traditionally credited with discovering Earth’s precession. However, some theories propose that knowledge of this astronomical phenomenon may have been understood much earlier by other advanced cultures, including the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Mayans.⁹ These theories continue to generate considerable controversy. Martin B. Sweatman and Alistair Coombs have published an article suggesting that Paleolithic societies were already aware of astronomical precession. Their conclusions draw upon studies of archaeological sites such as Göbekli Tepe and Çatalhöyük in Turkey, as well as the Lascaux Cave in France.¹⁰

The Antikythera Mechanism

An object discovered in a shipwreck off the coast of Antikythera, near Crete, at the start of the 20th century provides compelling evidence of advanced astronomical calculations in the ancient world. Known as the Antikythera mechanism, this intricate device dates to the 2nd or possibly even the 3rd century BCE, with some sources suggesting as early as 205 BCE. Remarkably sophisticated for its time, the mechanism functioned as a kind of ancient ‘computer,’ capable of performing complex computations.¹¹

The preserved mechanism, consisting of 30 bronze gears, was engineered to track the positions of the Sun, Moon, and known planets. It also enabled predictions of lunar phases, anticipated solar and lunar eclipses, and recorded the times when key stars would appear and disappear from view.¹² Interestingly, the device also calculated the dates for the Olympic Games every four years, along with other smaller sporting events. Its calculations are remarkably precise. Recent evidence suggests it may have been crafted by followers of the Pythagorean tradition.¹³

The Lycurgus Cup

While the ancient Antikythera mechanism impresses modern observers, an arguably more extraordinary Roman creation from the 4th century CE is the Lycurgus Cup, likely crafted in Alexandria. The cup illustrates a mythological scene of Lycurgus, the Thracian king, captured by vines as punishment. Its true marvel lies in a remarkable optical feature: the cup changes color depending on the light.

This intriguing property was first observed in the 1950s, but its underlying cause wasn’t uncovered until 1990.¹⁴ Through microscopic examination, it was discovered that the glass cup contains particles of gold and silver only 50 nanometers in diameter. The Romans must have ground gold and silver to this microscopic scale and then mixed these particles with glass. This process resulted in what is known as dichroic glass, which appears to change color depending on the angle of the incoming light. Exactly how the ancient Romans achieved this level of precision in grinding metals to such tiny dimensions remains a mystery to this day.¹⁵

Were Ancient Civilizations Technologically Advanced?

In addition to the inventions mentioned above, ancient civilizations also boasted other achievements:

• slender granite statues¹⁶ – How did the Egyptians manage to sculpt hard granite with such precision?
  
• the aerodynamic Saqqara bird¹⁷ – Did the Egyptians possess knowledge of aerodynamics or even early concepts of aviation?
  
• Hero’s steam turbine in Greece¹⁸,
  
• the ancient Chinese seismoscope¹⁹,
  
• the Baghdad battery²⁰ – did the Babylonians invent electricity?
  

These inventions appear remarkably sophisticated for their era, fueling myths and theories about ancient civilizations’ technological prowess. Some have even speculated that these societies harnessed technologies like electricity or flight, although such ideas are difficult to verify.

Still, these inventions genuinely perplex us. But should they? Ancient civilizations didn’t depend on electricity or air travel, nor did they develop factories or large-scale production systems. Their accomplishments demonstrate a deep level of insight and creativity, indicating they were significantly more intellectually sophisticated than commonly believed.

Conclusions

The theory of evolution suggests that prehistoric and ancient people were primitive, capable of creating only basic tools. This view aligns with the concept of human civilisation developing gradually over time. However, the knowledge and skills demonstrated by ancient peoples challenge this perspective.²¹ Instead, they resonate more closely with the biblical account of early human history, which describes post-flood humanity as possessing remarkable longevity, intelligence, and creativity.

To be continued: Part 3.

By the way, we recommend reading the articles:

• Scientists and Philosophers Who Found Faith in God
• Legends of Dragons from Around the World and Their Origins – Part 2
• Does the Bible Imply that the Earth is Flat?
• What is the Higgs Boson?
• What Did the Miller-Urey Experiment Actually Prove?

Footnotes

1. The digits 3, 4 and 5 form one of the Pythagorean triples, in which the sum of the squares of the two smaller numbers is equal to the square of the largest number – 32+42=9+16=25=523^2 + 4^2 = 9 + 16 = 25 = 5^232+42=9+16=25=52.
2. Spivey, R.J. (2016). Ancient metrication of the King’s Chamber inside the Great Pyramid. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306255649_Ancient_metrication_of_the_King’s_Chamber_inside_the_Great_Pyramid.
3. Grzelak, K. (2021). Tajemnice starożytnej geometrii. Babilończycy używali twierdzenia Pitagorasa 1000 lat przed narodzinami Pitagorasa. Focus.pl. Available at: https://www.focus.pl/artykul/tajemnice-starozytnej-geometrii-babilonczycy-uzywali-twierdzenia-pitagorasa-1000-lat-przed-narodzinami-pitagorasa.
4. McRae, M. (2018). Stonehenge Builders Used Pythagoras’ Theorem 2,000 Years Before He Was Born. Available at: https://www.sciencealert.com/pythagoras-triangle-used-construction-stonehenge.
5. Cox, G. (2020). Stunning Stonehenge!, Creation, 42(2), pp.36-38. Available at: https://creation.com/stonehenge.
6. Landis, D. (2012). The Genius of Ancient Man. Master Books, p.69.
7. Kosowski, A. and Kosowska, M.M. (2013). Sfery w przestrzeni. Wyd. Poligraf, p.23.
8. Landis, D. (2012). The Genius of Ancient Man. Master Books, p.49.
9. Magli, G. (2004). On the possible discovery of precessional effects in ancient astronomy. Available at: https://arxiv.org/ftp/physics/papers/0407/0407108.pdf.
10. Sweatman, M.B. and Coombs, A. (2018). Decoding European Palaeolithic art: Extremely ancient knowledge of precession of the equinoxes. Royal Society Open Science. Available at: https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1806/1806.00046.pdf.
11. Freeth, T. et al. (2021). A Model of the Cosmos in the ancient Greek Antikythera Mechanism. Scientific Reports, 11. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-84310-w.
12. Ibid.
13. Chrysopoulos, P. (2021). The Antikythera Mechanism: New Research Uncovers Secrets of the World’s First Computer. Greek Reporter. Available at: https://greekreporter.com/2021/03/13/antikythera-mechanism-the-worlds-first-computer-continues-to-amaze-scientists/.
14. Merali, Z. (2013). This 1,600-Year-Old Goblet Shows that the Romans Were Nanotechnology Pioneers. Smithsonian Magazine. Available at: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-1600-year-old-goblet-shows-that-the-romans-were-nanotechnology-pioneers-787224/.
15. Landis, D. (2015). The Secrets of Ancient Man. Master Books, p.92.
16. Serotta, A. and Carò, F. (2015). Hidden Secrets of Ancient Egyptian Technology. Available at: https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/now-at-the-met/2015/ancient-egyptian-technology.
17. Aamoth, D. (2010). Cryptids: The Saqqara Bird. TIME. Available at: https://techland.time.com/2010/06/09/cryptids-the-saqqara-bird/.
18. Encyclopaedia Brittanica, Aeolipile. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/technology/aeolipile.
19. Mitrica, D. (2019). World’s first earthquake detector was invented 2000 years ago in China. Available at: https://www.zmescience.com/science/geology/worlds-first-seismoscope-53454/.
20. Matthews, R., Was the Baghdad Battery really a battery?. Science Focus. Available at: https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/was-the-baghdad-battery-really-a-battery/.
21. Landis, D. (2013). Ancient Man and Intelligence: Were People Originally Dumb Brutes or Brilliant? In: The New Answers Book 4. Master Books. Available at: https://answersingenesis.org/human-evolution/brilliant-or-dumb-brutes/.

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Evolution of Thinking - Sebastian S.

The portal EvolutionOfThinking.org, created by the Research and Education Institute, focuses on education and the dissemination of knowledge related to research on various aspects of human well-being.