Ancient Inventions You Thought Were Modern  

The steam engine was first invented by Heron Alexandrinus in 1st Century Greece.  Until 1577 it was forgotten until Taqu al-Din reinvented the device.

Steam Engine 

Concrete was first used by the Romans.  They mixed limestone and volcanic ash to make a mortar.  They then packed bricks together with the mixture to form the basic materials. 

Concrete 

The first seismometer was invented in 132 AD by Zhang Heng in ancient China.  Its purpose was to detect earthquakes in many remote regions of China. 

Seismometers 

Ancient Roman had central heating systems from 1000 BC using a system called a hypocaust. In ancient Korea they used a similar system. They called it a ondol. 

Central Heating 

Ancient Rome is famous for introducing domes into architecture.  However before the Romans the Mesopotamians used domes in their buildings. 

Domes 

The modern toothbrush was first designed by William Addis in 1780 in England.  However, the first toothbrushes date back to 3500 to 3000 BC in Babylonia and Egypt. 

Toothbrushes 

We think of pancakes as a modern American breakfast.  However ancient Greece had pancakes for breakfast and called them teganetes. 

Pancake

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