By 
Technology has a funny way of making yesterday’s breakthrough feel ancient almost overnight. That makes it easy to assume that many familiar objects must have appeared relatively recently, especially when their modern versions involve electronics, mass production, or materials their original creators could never have imagined. But plenty of inventions have histories stretching back centuries or even thousands of years. Ancient civilizations devised everything from automatic dispensers to alarm systems, while several technologies we associate with the modern age were already being demonstrated when horses were still the main form of transportation. The originals didn’t always look much like the versions we know today, but the basic ideas were already there. Here are 15 inventions we’ve had for much longer than people think.
©Unsplash
Vending Machines
The basic idea behind a vending machine is nearly 2,000 years old. Hero of Alexandria described a first-century device that accepted a coin and automatically dispensed a measured amount of holy water.
©Unsplash
Alarm Clocks
People were finding creative ways to wake themselves up long before smartphones started ruining everyone’s mornings. Ancient Greek water clocks could be designed to produce an alarm, with versions of the idea dating back more than 2,000 years.
©Unsplash
Concrete
Concrete feels inseparable from modern cities, but the Romans were using sophisticated concrete mixtures more than 2,000 years ago. Their volcanic-ash-based material helped create structures that are still standing today.
©Unsplash
Door Locks
Locks and keys are thousands of years older than the front doors they’re protecting today. Ancient Egyptians developed large wooden pin-tumbler locks that already used the basic principle of matching a particular key to a locking mechanism.
©Unsplash
Umbrellas
The umbrella existed in various ancient civilizations long before it became an everyday rainy-day accessory. Early versions were commonly used as protection from the sun, with the familiar portable design evolving considerably over the centuries.
©Unsplash
Paper
Paper has been around for roughly two millennia, with its development traditionally associated with ancient China. Early paper makers used materials including bark, rags, and old fishing nets to produce sheets for writing.
©Unsplash
Mechanical Clocks
Mechanical timekeeping isn’t nearly as modern as a wall clock might make it seem. Genuine mechanical clocks were appearing in medieval Europe by around the 13th century, centuries before watches became everyday accessories.
©Unsplash
Steam Power
The Industrial Revolution made steam power famous, but the underlying concept had been demonstrated much earlier. Hero of Alexandria described the aeolipile in the first century, a device that spun as heated water produced steam.
©Unsplash
Fire Pumps
Firefighting equipment also has surprisingly ancient roots. Ctesibius developed a double-action piston pump in the third century B.C., and the technology could be fitted with a nozzle to send out a continuous stream of water.
©Unsplash
Eyeglasses
People have been putting lenses in front of their eyes for hundreds of years. Wearable eyeglasses emerged in Europe during the late 13th century, making them far older than most everyday accessories people still carry around.
©Unsplash
Toothbrushes
The toothbrush wasn’t born alongside modern toothpaste and bathroom cabinets. Early forms existed centuries ago, while bristle toothbrushes similar in basic concept to ours were being used in China long before they became widespread in Europe.
©Unsplash
Flush Toilets
Flushing away waste is an idea with much deeper roots than the modern bathroom. Ancient civilizations developed sophisticated drainage and toilet systems, while recognizable mechanical flushing toilets appeared centuries before indoor plumbing became standard in ordinary homes.
©Unsplash
Automatic Doors
Automatic doors sound like something invented for supermarkets and airports, but Hero of Alexandria was experimenting with the concept in the first century. His system used heated air, water, weights, ropes, and pulleys to make temple doors open automatically.
©Unsplash
Portable Watches
Personal timepieces existed centuries before anyone could glance at a smartwatch. Clockmakers in Europe began producing small spring-driven portable clocks around the 15th century, with wearable watches following not long afterward.
©Unsplash
Fax Machines
Esta para mí es LA mejor para cerrar porque parece imposible jajaja. The technology behind the fax machine dates to the 1840s, meaning an early version existed before the telephone and decades before household electricity became commonplace. Even the fax, somehow, is older than most people would ever guess.
The post 15 Inventions We’ve Had for Much Longer Than People Think appeared first on Den of Geek.
