⏱️ 7 min read
Ancient civilizations laid the groundwork for modern society, yet many of their remarkable achievements and peculiar practices remain largely unknown to the general public. From ingenious engineering feats to surprising cultural practices, these early societies developed innovations and customs that continue to fascinate historians and archaeologists today. The following remarkable facts reveal just how advanced, creative, and sometimes bizarre our ancient ancestors truly were.
Fascinating Discoveries from the Ancient World
1. Ancient Egyptians Invented the World’s First Breath Mints
The ancient Egyptians were deeply concerned with personal hygiene and fresh breath, leading them to create the first known breath mints around 1500 BCE. These early fresheners were made from a combination of frankincense, myrrh, cinnamon, and honey, formed into small pellets. The need for such inventions arose partly from their diet, which included significant amounts of garlic and onions, but also from their religious beliefs that emphasized purity when approaching the gods. This attention to oral hygiene was remarkably advanced for its time and demonstrates the sophistication of Egyptian daily life beyond their famous pyramids and pharaohs.
2. The Romans Used Urine as Mouthwash and Laundry Detergent
One of the most surprising practices of ancient Rome involved the widespread use of urine for cleaning purposes. The ammonia in urine made it an effective cleaning agent, and Romans collected it from public latrines for use in laundries and even as a tooth-whitening solution. The practice was so valuable economically that Emperor Nero actually imposed a tax on urine collection. While this may seem distasteful by modern standards, it represents an early understanding of chemistry and resourcefulness that characterized Roman practical thinking. Portuguese urine was particularly prized for its supposed superior cleaning properties.
3. The Ancient Maya Had Advanced Dental Work
The Maya civilization possessed surprisingly sophisticated dental practices, including decorative dental modifications that would impress modern cosmetic dentists. Archaeological evidence shows that Maya dentists drilled into teeth to embed precious stones like jade and turquoise, creating dazzling smiles that indicated social status. They accomplished this using primitive drills made from jade and copper, along with abrasive substances. Even more impressively, they created a type of cement from ground stone and plant extracts to secure these gems, demonstrating remarkable knowledge of adhesives and dental procedures that wouldn’t be matched in Europe for centuries.
4. Ancient Greeks Invented Vending Machines
While vending machines seem like a modern convenience, the first known example was actually invented by Hero of Alexandria, a Greek engineer, in the first century CE. This ingenious device dispensed holy water in Egyptian temples when worshippers inserted a coin. The weight of the coin would push down a lever, opening a valve that released a measured amount of water before automatically closing. This invention demonstrated the Greeks’ advanced understanding of mechanics and hydraulics, predating the modern vending machine by nearly 2,000 years. Unfortunately, this technology was largely forgotten and had to be reinvented in the modern era.
5. The Ancient Chinese Used Earthquake Detectors Nearly 2,000 Years Ago
In 132 CE, Chinese inventor Zhang Heng created the world’s first seismoscope, an ornate bronze vessel that could detect earthquakes from hundreds of miles away. The device featured eight dragon heads arranged around the outside, each holding a bronze ball in its mouth. When an earthquake occurred, a pendulum inside would swing toward the direction of the tremor, triggering a mechanism that caused the corresponding dragon to drop its ball into the mouth of a bronze toad below. This would alert officials to send aid in the proper direction. This remarkable invention predated Western seismology by more than 1,700 years.
6. Ancient Mesopotamians Created the First Known Beer Recipe
The Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia not only brewed beer as early as 4,000 BCE but also left behind the oldest known recipe for it in the form of a hymn to Ninkasi, the goddess of brewing. Beer was so central to Mesopotamian culture that workers were often paid in beer rations, with different social classes receiving different quantities and qualities. The beverage was consumed through straws to avoid the bitter solids that floated on top. This early form of beer was thicker and more nutritious than modern versions, serving as an important dietary staple and making drinking water safer by killing harmful bacteria during the brewing process.
7. The Ancient Incan Empire Had No Written Language But Used Complex Accounting Systems
Despite building one of the largest empires in pre-Columbian America, the Incas never developed a written language in the traditional sense. Instead, they used an intricate system of knotted strings called quipu to record numerical data, census information, and possibly even narratives. These devices consisted of colored strings with various types of knots tied at specific intervals, each configuration representing different values and categories of information. The complexity of this system allowed the Incas to manage their vast empire efficiently, tracking everything from crop yields to population statistics across thousands of miles of territory.
8. Ancient Persians Held Business Meetings in Different States of Intoxication
According to the Greek historian Herodotus, the ancient Persians had an unusual approach to decision-making that involved deliberating important matters twice: once while sober and once while intoxicated with wine. They believed that this dual approach would reveal the full truth of any matter, as both states of mind offered different perspectives and insights. If a decision made while drunk still seemed sound when reconsidered sober, or vice versa, it was considered validated. This practice reflected the Persian belief in examining issues from multiple angles and their sophisticated approach to governance.
9. The Ancient Library of Alexandria Had Over 500,000 Scrolls
The Great Library of Alexandria, founded in the third century BCE in Egypt, was the largest and most significant library of the ancient world, housing an estimated 400,000 to 700,000 scrolls at its peak. The Ptolemaic rulers were so obsessed with collecting knowledge that they ordered all ships docking at Alexandria to surrender their books for copying. The originals were often kept while copies were returned to the owners. The library employed numerous scholars and translators who worked to collect and preserve knowledge from across the known world. Its eventual destruction represents one of history’s greatest losses of accumulated human knowledge.
10. Ancient Romans Used to Share a Single Sponge on a Stick in Public Restrooms
Roman public latrines featured communal seating where citizens would socialize while attending to their needs, but the sanitation practices would shock modern sensibilities. Instead of toilet paper, Romans used a tersorium, a sea sponge attached to a stick that was shared among all users. After use, the sponge was rinsed in a channel of running water or a bucket of salt water or vinegar. These public facilities actually represented advanced infrastructure for their time, featuring running water, drainage systems, and social spaces, even if the hygiene practices leave much to be desired by contemporary standards.
The Enduring Legacy of Ancient Innovation
These ten facts demonstrate that ancient civilizations were far more advanced, creative, and complex than often credited. From practical innovations like earthquake detectors and vending machines to cultural practices that seem bizarre or brilliant depending on perspective, these societies developed solutions to problems and created traditions that shaped human history. Their achievements in engineering, medicine, governance, and daily life remind us that human ingenuity has always been a driving force of civilization. Understanding these fascinating aspects of ancient cultures not only enriches our appreciation of history but also provides perspective on how far humanity has come while revealing that some of our supposedly modern concerns and innovations have surprisingly ancient roots.