Scientific Techniques Used By Ancient People That Worked Surprisingly Well

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Scientific Techniques Used By Ancient People That Worked Surprisingly Well

By Joe Burgett - December 31, 2022

Clockmaking

Historic Period: 1600 to 1501 BCE – Ancient Babylon

While things like watches and many modern clocks were not invented until later on, clockmaking had been a thing for centuries. Many needed to have some way of keeping up with the passage of time and how to measure it. This is why clocks were developed along with other timekeeping devices. Ancient Greeks & Chinese people developed their own version of this. The Greeks were first to the party, with the development of the oldest known clock dating back to 250 BCE. However, timekeeping is a very old process. This was a very interesting process early on and was one of the most unique scientific techniques used by ancient people. It dates back to ancient Babylon in the 16th Century BCE! They used a water clock here, which would be used elsewhere along with fire and other natural methods.

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Masonry

Historic Period: Roughly 4,000 BCE – Ancient Egypt & Mesopotamia

Masonry was the process of building structures from individual units. These were often laid in and bound together using mortar to create multiple things like structures and even decorative objects. Usually, bricks were used for this, but masons might also use marble, granite, cast stone, concrete blocks, limestone, and even glass blocks. Of course, the oldest known form of masonry used stone. The oldest structures utilizing this dates back to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia in roughly 4,000 BCE. This is one of the few scientific techniques used by ancient people that has not changed much from its original use and purpose.

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Engineering

Historic Period: Around 2,500 BCE – Ancient Greeks & Romans

Perhaps one of the most notable scientific techniques used by ancient people is the world of early engineering. While the Egyptians were known for this, especially when constructing their pyramids…the Greeks and Romans took things to a completely different level. They invented the first levers, pulleys, winches, gimbals, cranes, and gears. If that is not enough for you, the Greeks and Romans also invented the truss and truss roofing system that would become a staple in building design afterward. Oh, and they are also responsible for the earliest form of robotics.

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Chemistry

Historic Period: Around 4,000 BCE – Ancient Sumeria

Chemistry is one of the most notable scientific techniques used by ancient people that truly worked for them. Their concept of chemistry truly comes from how they experimented with things to get chemical reactions. They understood the basic principles of chemical reactions and would then use that knowledge for numerous purposes. This might be for things like brewing and tanning, but also it could be used in some early medications. Of course, poisons were invented out of this too, which isn’t a good thing. Chemistry dates back all the way to ancient Sumeria in 4,000 BCE. However, it would go on to be heavily expanded upon by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Chinese.

Where Do We Find this Stuff? Here Are Our Sources:

United States Geological Survey

University of California – Berkeley

Harvard University

Princeton University

Columbia University

Brigham Young University

Tennessee Tech University

American Museum of Natural History

National Geographic

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