The word “ancients” and the word “nanotechnology” in one sentence cut the ear, since nanotechnology in the perception of the public is something modern, but by no means ancient.
But in fact, there are artifacts that scientists cannot explain, because they are so complex that it is impossible to do this with any primitive instrument. If the incredibly accurate fit in the Hermitage somehow managed to explain with primitive tools, then the artifact of the Lycurgus cup, which we could not have repeated 50 years ago. Here even the official science confirms its impossibility, because historians do not know how to roll gold with a bronze hammer and a hoe to 30 nm.
They cannot say that they did not use a hoe before, since they will have to revise the whole history. Although there is enough evidence of the existence of an ancient highly developed civilization to reconsider at least something. Here, both super heavy megalithic structures and nanotechnology were used. In general, our ancestors knew how to work with sizes, with incredibly large and with small ones. And we worked with them professionally. They were not afraid of difficulties.
The fate of the cup can be traced back to 1845. Even 50 years ago, we would not have been able to repeat this product, which is not known where it came from, and the exact age has not been established, but it is definitely ancient and Roman.
The uniqueness of the cup is that it can change color from green to red, depending on the angle of incidence of light, and scientists did not understand this ability and could not explain it.
Explained only in the 90s, the glass contains the smallest particles of colloidal gold and silver. The technique of making the cup is so perfect that the ancient masters were already familiar with nanotechnology.
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Dichroic glass is glass on which a layer of rare earth metals was applied, no more than 30 nanometers thick, 1 nanometer is equal to 0, 000001 mm, the sputtering process is technological, and you can't make it with a hoe.
Officially, such glass was invented by NASA, but perhaps this is not the case, since similar technologies were also used in the space industry of the USSR, and even in ancient Rome.
Modern such spraying is more primitive, And the ancient "glass" is an alloy of glass with metal particles, the metal particles of which are arranged in a strict order. Scientists have reproduced it while studying the Lycurgus Cup. They didn't hit the color, but the principle was proved.
Also, when studying, they found many of its other abilities, for example, changing color depending on the drink there. The study of such technologies even gave a little bit to modern science. The technology is more sensitive in detecting layers than a modern commercial sensor.
This goblet is not the only product of this kind, a number of them are known. And research has shown that the concentration of gold and silver varies from product to product. Apparently, the technology was not very stable.
Scientists cannot say how they could have produced such a dichroic glass in ancient times, because they themselves realized this only in 1990 with the help of an electric microscope.
In ancient times, there were technologies, then until the Middle Ages some of them can still be traced, then they disappear and appear only in the 20th century.