Ancient Technology
Machines, engineering, and technical knowledge from the ancient world, examined through surviving objects and texts.
61 results found
Investigations
They Painted Over Archimedes
A medieval scribe erased Archimedes to make a prayer book. Centuries later, forged paintings hid the writing again—and scientists needed synchrotron X-rays to read through them.
The Lump Had Gears
Sponge divers found a Roman-era wreck in 1900. Among its statues was a corroded bronze lump whose hidden gears turned out to be an ancient astronomical calculator.