Recently, progress has been going so rapidly that the thought that human civilization has reached its maximum development only recently has involuntarily crept in. At the same time, numerous paleontological and archaeological finds indicate that a person with a high level of development existed on the planet several tens of thousands of years ago. And there is no reason to say that ancient man was in some way more stupid than modern man.
Currently, there is a widespread stereotype of an ancient man as a half-naked, shaggy savage armed with a club. But in reality, our ancestors already 15 thousand years ago were able not only to make, but also to use high-quality specialized tools - from bone needles to arrows and spearheads. They really lived in caves, but not in gloomy and dark ones, but decorated with paintings and carvings. Their leather clothes were practical, comfortable and not devoid of beauty. In ancient times, people knew how to build houses of brick, regular shape, with a clear layout of courtyards, streets and squares. They worked metal, wood, clay and precious stones, raised livestock, and worked the land. And all this in about 7 thousand years BC.
Alexandria can be considered the peak of the development of ancient civilization. It was a large city (even by modern standards) with a population of almost half a million. Here one could see temples with automatic doors, multi-deck ships, theaters with moving figures and mechanical decorations.
Many discoveries were made in Ancient Egypt. It is known for certain from the documents discovered during the excavations that the Egyptians own many discoveries that are successfully used by modern man. For their historical period, the Egyptians had a fairly well-developed culture.
Modern man mainly associates Ancient Egypt with pyramids and mummies, but in fact the Egyptians invented not only mummification. So, in particular, the world owes the invention of the papyrus to the Egyptians. In 3000 BC. they developed a technology for obtaining paper from the papyrus plant growing on the banks of the Nile. To make paper, the plant was cored and cut into long strips. They were then placed diagonally one above the other and placed under a press for several days. The quality of the papyrus was excellent, as evidenced by the writings that have survived to this day. It should be noted that the Egyptians kept the technology of making papyrus a secret, since it was one of the main commodities for export. This is what allowed the ancient inhabitants of Egypt to maintain a monopoly on the market.
After the invention of papyrus, the Egyptians started to think about how to write on it. The papyrus sheet was tough and hard. Therefore, the instrument for writing must also be strong. The first prototypes of fountain pens were born. They were found during some excavations. Obviously, they were used widely enough.
In addition, the Egyptians made reed pens that could also be used to write on papyrus.
Black ink must be attributed to the amazing inventions of the ancient Egyptians. To make them, soot was mixed with beeswax and vegetable oils. To obtain inks of other colors, organic dyes were used, for example, ocher. All of the mixtures were quite powerful and effective. Therefore, Egyptian manuscripts have survived to our time in a fully or partially readable state.
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Egyptians are also the inventors of hieroglyphs. The first notes were made in the form of pictures. This system was called a pictogram. Over time, new symbols and images were added to convey sounds and words, even later - hieroglyphs appeared to denote abstract ideas and names. Using hieroglyphs, they wrote about politics, war and culture.
The ancient Egyptians were the first to invent the solar calendar, which indicated the position of the planet as it revolved around the sun. The calendar consisted of 12 months, each had 30 days and 5 additional days at the end of the year (which appeared as a result of miscalculations in the calendar, because the Egyptians did not take into account additional fractions of a day. This calendar showed dates and months a little inaccurately, which was corrected in 238 BC by Ptoleus III (he added one day, which now appears every 4 years).
To determine the time, the Egyptians invented a water clock and a sundial. The sundials were obelisks that cast shadows by which morning, afternoon and evening were determined. The water clock was a stone container with inclined walls and a small hole in the lower part. Water dripped through this hole at a constant rate. The capacity was divided into 12 columns, and a change in the water level according to these marks meant the passage of every hour.
It is impossible not to mention the pyramids, which have become symbols of the tombs of the pharaohs. The first was the pyramid of Djoser, which was built in 2750 BC. Prior to this, the pharaohs were buried in rectangular brick graves. The pyramids had a spiritual meaning, each side representing God as a guardian, creator and transformer.
Such a fashionable decoration in our time, like a wig, also comes from Ancient Egypt. The most ancient wigs were found in ancient Egyptian artifacts. In Egyptian culture, baldness was not considered aesthetic, so both women and men used wigs. In addition to the desire to cover bald patches, wigs were also used to protect from the sun. Wigs were made taking into account all the fashion trends of that time, as well as in accordance with the wishes and style of the owner. For the wigs, human hair, sheep wool and plant fibers were used and covered with beeswax.
Approximately 4 thousand years BC. The Egyptians used mascara. It was made from soot with the addition of the mineral galena. Some ancient Egyptian paintings show people with green eye makeup. Ink of this shade was made from minerals, for example, by mixing galena and malachite. Makeup was also used by both men and women. Moreover, the amount of cosmetics used depended on the social stratum. And it was also believed that makeup protects a person from enemies and the evil eye.
Another interesting invention of the ancient Egyptians that appeared about 3.5 thousand years ago is high heels. High-heeled shoes were worn by the upper class, both women and men. Representatives of the lower classes could not afford such shoes, so they were equated with works of art. Butcher traders and executioners were forced to wear high heels so that it was convenient to walk on blood while working.
In addition, the ancient Egyptians invented the plow, the first condoms, bowling, a door lock, and toothpaste. In general, the Egyptians can be called the ancestors of technology, because they were very inventive. The ancient Romans did not lag behind them, leaving behind bridges, roads, architectural monuments, laws and customs.
In ancient Rome, water was highly valued. Through aqueducts, water flowed through numerous fountains. In those days, it should be noted that the fountains were not decoration, but served as sources from which people took water. In ancient fountains, water flowed down, rather than gushing upwards. By the way, in ancient Rome there were practically no gastric diseases, because the water underwent triple purification - through sand, coal and herbal filters.
The Romans were the first to start building roads and bridges. No civilization was complete without roads, but it was the ancient Romans who began to build roads with hard stone surfaces. The first such road was built in 312-308 BC. between Rome and Capua. It is still used today. Moreover, in some places there are still preserved areas with original coating and traces of chariots. The milestones helped the travelers and warriors navigate their way.
The Romans built roads not only throughout Europe, but also in Asia Minor and North Africa. Most of these roads were destroyed, but some of them formed the basis of modern highways and railways. In addition, the distance between the wheels of Roman carts became a guideline for the width of the rails. And for the construction of bridges, the Romans used stone, concrete and metal.
The ancient Romans were the first to take traffic control seriously. So, Julius Caesar introduced strict rules of conduct on the road. At the same time, one-way streets were introduced to avoid collisions. Private carriages, carriages and chariots were not allowed to move during the day. Nonresident vehicle owners did not have the right to enter the city; they left their vehicles outside the city walls.
In ancient Rome, there was a paid public transport. When the cart passed 5 thousand steps, one pebble was thrown from one box to another. At the end of the trip, the number of pebbles was counted, after which a monetary settlement was made.
Among the inventions of the Romans were illuminated tunnels, which were cut through the mountains to shorten the path. Some of them were quite long - up to 1.5 km. People were paid from the treasury, who filled the lamps with oil and made sure that the lights were constantly on in the tunnels.
The first mass media appeared in ancient Rome, the prototype of which can be considered as handwritten news bulletins. They appeared around 168 BC. It was a wooden board on which the main events were written in chalk, after which they were left in the busiest squares.
Gradually, this newspaper became the official organ, which reported on the decisions of the authorities and popular assemblies. Copies were distributed outside the city. Moreover, copies of newspapers were not destroyed, but were handed over to the archives.
The ancient Romans were also the founders of a legal system that survived after the collapse of this ancient civilization. It carefully and comprehensively developed the ideals of justice and justice. By the way, some modern legislation is based on this system, in particular, French and American.
In addition, the Romans had a love of holidays in their blood. The ancient Romans devoted themselves to this occupation with selflessness. Most of the festivities were of religious or social significance, although games and entertainment were also held in honor of the emperor or great victories. For example, during the reign of August, there were 115 days off and holidays in the year. Later this number was increased to 200 celebrations per year.
All of the above examples only to a small extent reveal the enormous influence that the Egyptians and Romans had on subsequent historical eras. The discoveries made by these civilizations find application in the modern world. Thus, discoveries in the field of architecture are used in modern architecture, the principles of state administration have become the ideal of state structure in European society, and there is no need to talk about cosmetics, high heels and wigs.