Inventions of the ancient world
212 inventions and discoveries: year, what it is, what it evolved from and what it led to.
How the inventions are connected
| Year | Invention | What it is | Evolved from | Led to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3000 BC | Silver | A precious metal, the best conductor. | ||
| 3000 BC | Saw | A tool with a toothed blade. | Chainsaw | |
| 3000 BC | Chisel | A tool for removing material by striking or pushing. | ||
| 3000 BC | Beam | A horizontal load-bearing element. | ||
| 3000 BC | Balance scale | Scales based on an equal-armed lever. | Electronic scales | |
| 3000 BC | Catheter Michele Troja | A tube inserted into a body cavity. | ||
| 3000 BC | Rivet | A pin that is hammered over to make a permanent joint. | ||
| 3000 BC | Sailing ship | A ship driven by the wind. | Boat | |
| 3000 BC | Dice | Cubes for random numbers. | Probability theory | |
| 3000 BC | Shield | A hand-held means of protection. | ||
| 3000 BC | Whistle | A sound signal made by a stream of air. | ||
| 3000 BC | Solder | A low-melting alloy for joining parts. | ||
| 3000 BC | Ice skates | A blade on a shoe for gliding on ice. | Roller skates | |
| 3000 BC | Scalpel | A surgical knife. | Knife | |
| 3000 BC | Levee | An embankment against floods. | Dam | |
| 3000 BC | Shovel | A tool for digging. | ||
| 3000 BC | Harp | A plucked instrument with stretched strings. | Guitar | |
| 3000 BC | Pile | A post that transfers loads into the ground. | ||
| 3000 BC | Gutter | A channel for draining rain. | ||
| 3000 BC | Tandoor | A clay jar-shaped oven. | ||
| 3000 BC | Backstrap loom | A loom whose warp is tensioned by the weaver’s body. | ||
| 3000 BC | Bitumen | A viscous mixture of hydrocarbons. | ||
| 3000 BC | Hairpin | A hair clip. | ||
| 3000 BC | Sintering | Compacting a powder by heating it below its melting point. | ||
| 3000 BC | Hat | Headwear. | ||
| 3000 BC | Trousers | The trousers of nomads. | ||
| 3000 BC | Surgical suture | Stitching tissue with thread. | Surgical stapler | |
| 3000 BC | Calendar | A system for counting days by the cycles of the Sun and the Moon. | ||
| 3000 BC | Belt | A waist belt. | ||
| 3000 BC | Papyrus | A writing material made from papyrus stems. | Paper | |
| 3000 BC | Roof tile | A roofing element of fired clay. | ||
| 3000 BC | Terrace farming | Stepped fields on slopes. | ||
| 2900 BC | Dam | A structure that holds back water. | Levee | |
| 2800 BC | Crutches | Supports for walking. | Wheelchair | |
| 2800 BC | Soap | Salts of fatty acids used for cleaning. | Synthetic detergent | |
| 2700 BC | Silk | The fibre of the silkworm. | ||
| 2700 BC | Abacus | A counting board with movable pebbles or beads. | ||
| 2650 BC | Ruler | A measuring strip with graduations. | Tape measure, Vernier caliper | |
| 2600 BC | Plumb bob | A weight on a string for checking the vertical. | ||
| 2600 BC | Egyptian pyramid | A monumental tomb built of stone blocks. | ||
| 2600 BC | Column | A vertical support; the orders of antiquity. | ||
| 2500 BC | Ink | A coloured liquid for writing. | ||
| 2500 BC | Sewerage | Draining waste water; the Cloaca Maxima, Bazalgette’s London system. | ||
| 2500 BC | Helmet | Head protection. | ||
| 2500 BC | Seaport | A harbour with quays. | ||
| 2500 BC | Urban planning | Regular grid layout of cities (Hippodamus). | ||
| 2000 BC | Bell | A cast ringing vessel. | ||
| 2000 BC | Shaduf | A well sweep for lifting water: a lever with a counterweight. | ||
| 2000 BC | Trowel | A small blade for applying mortar. | ||
| 2000 BC | Anchor | A weight with flukes for holding a ship in place. | ||
| 2000 BC | Arch | A curved structure that carries loads in compression. | Dome, Vault | |
| 2000 BC | Spoked wheel | A lighter wheel that first appeared on chariots. | Bicycle wheel | |
| 2000 BC | Doll | A toy figure of a person. | ||
| 2000 BC | Saucepan | A vessel for boiling. | Pottery | |
| 2000 BC | Butter churn | Churning butter from cream. | ||
| 2000 BC | Cheese press | Pressing whey out of curd. | ||
| 2000 BC | Button | A fastener. | ||
| 2000 BC | Chariot | A light two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle. | Cart | |
| 2000 BC | Kayak | A light paddle boat of the Arctic peoples. | ||
| 2000 BC | Salting | Preserving food with salt. | ||
| 1900 BC | Cryptography | Encrypting messages. | ||
| 1800 BC | Alphabet | A script in which each sign stands for a sound. | Writing | |
| 1780 BC | Ice house | A store of natural ice for keeping food cold. | Refrigerator | |
| 1700 BC | Plumbing Egyptians, Egyptians | Supplying water through pipes. | ||
| 1700 BC | Sword | A bladed weapon. | ||
| 1600 BC | Natural rubber | The sap of the rubber tree; balls among the Mesoamericans. | ||
| 1600 BC | Ball | Rubber balls of the Mesoamericans; leather balls in Europe. | ||
| 1600 BC | Door hinge | A door’s pivot. | ||
| 1500 BC | Bellows | A device for blowing air into a forge. | ||
| 1500 BC | Anvil | A massive support for forging. | ||
| 1500 BC | Mercury | A liquid metal; thermometers and barometers. | ||
| 1500 BC | Water clock (clepsydra) | Measuring time by the outflow of water. | Mechanical clock | |
| 1500 BC | Sundial | Telling time by the shadow of a gnomon. | ||
| 1500 BC | Blacksmith’s tongs | Hinged tongs for holding red-hot metal. | ||
| 1500 BC | Bandage | Dressing material. | Sticking plaster | |
| 1500 BC | Scissors | Two blades on a pivot — a pair of levers. | ||
| 1500 BC | Glass bottle | A glass vessel; machine production — Owens, 1903. | Plastic bottle | |
| 1500 BC | Forge | A hearth for heating metal before forging. | ||
| 1500 BC | Pliers | Two lever jaws on a pivot. | ||
| 1300 BC | Lathe | A machine that shapes a rotating workpiece with a cutting tool. | Screw-cutting lathe | |
| 1300 BC | Bridge | A structure for crossing an obstacle. | ||
| 1300 BC | Vault | A curved ceiling. | Arch | Dome |
| 1300 BC | Drawbridge | A lifting span. | ||
| 1300 BC | Arch bridge | A bridge on an arch. | ||
| 1200 BC | Iron | The metal of the Iron Age; the basis of steel. | ||
| 1200 BC | Bloomery | A furnace for producing iron from ore without melting it. | Blast furnace | |
| 1200 BC | File | A steel bar with cut teeth for filing. | ||
| 1200 BC | Chopsticks | Two sticks — a third-class lever. | ||
| 1000 BC | Coal | A fossil fuel — the basis of the Industrial Revolution. | ||
| 1000 BC | Stretcher | A means of carrying the wounded. | ||
| 1000 BC | Broom | A bundle of twigs for sweeping. | Basket | Mop |
| 1000 BC | Kettle | A vessel for boiling water. | Electric kettle | |
| 1000 BC | Umbrella | A folding canopy on ribs. | ||
| 1000 BC | Cutlery | Spoons, forks, knives. | ||
| 1000 BC | Scaffolding | A temporary structure for working at height. | ||
| 1000 BC | Pitchfork | A tool for hay. | ||
| 1000 BC | Sponge | A porous material (synthetic ones since the 1930s). | ||
| 950 BC | Prosthetic limb | An artificial replacement for a limb; modern ones are bionic. | ||
| 900 BC | Battering ram | A log for breaking down gates. | ||
| 900 BC | Siege tower | A tower on wheels for storming walls. | ||
| 800 BC | Pulley | A grooved wheel for a rope; changes the direction of force. | ||
| 800 BC | Qanat | An underground channel that collects groundwater by gravity. | ||
| 776 BC | Stadium | A structure for sports events. | ||
| 700 BC | Tunnel | An underground structure (Eupalinos). | ||
| 700 BC | Lock and key | A mechanical locking device. | Smart lock | |
| 700 BC | Saddle | A seat for a rider. | Stirrup | |
| 700 BC | Pin tumbler lock | Pins lined up by a key; the idea dates back to Egypt, the modern one to Yale, 1861. | ||
| 700 BC | Wire drawing | Pulling metal through a die. | ||
| 700 BC | Dentures | Removable artificial teeth. | ||
| 600 BC | Permanent magnet | A material with stable magnetization. | Lodestone | |
| 600 BC | Magnetism | The attraction and repulsion of magnets; the Earth’s magnetic field. | Electromagnetism | |
| 600 BC | Map | A scaled picture of an area. | Globe, GPS (satellite navigation), Online maps | |
| 600 BC | Coin | A metal token of value bearing a stamped image. | Paper money | |
| 600 BC | Static electricity | Charging by friction (Thales, amber). | ||
| 600 BC | Lodestone | A naturally magnetic mineral. | Permanent magnet | |
| 600 BC | Coining (die stamping) | Transferring an image with a blow of a die — an early idea of mass reproduction. | ||
| 550 BC | Postal service | A letter delivery service (the Yam relay, the Persian post). | ||
| 515 BC | Crane (ancient) | An ancient Greek crane with a block and tackle and a windlass. | Tower crane | |
| 510 BC | Canal | An artificial waterway. | ||
| 500 BC | Brass | An alloy of copper and zinc. | ||
| 500 BC | Cast iron | An iron alloy with a high carbon content. | ||
| 500 BC | Kite | A tethered surface lifted by the wind. | Glider, Space frame | |
| 500 BC | Windlass | A drum with a handle for winding rope. | ||
| 500 BC | Compasses | A tool for drawing circles. | ||
| 500 BC | Scythe | A long curved blade for mowing. | Sickle | Lawn mower |
| 500 BC | Buckle | A belt fastener. | ||
| 500 BC | Trigger | A lever mechanism that releases stored energy. | ||
| 500 BC | String vibration | Pitch depends on length and tension (Pythagoras, Mersenne). | ||
| 500 BC | Yo-yo | A disc on a string. | ||
| 500 BC | Pile driver | A machine for driving piles. | ||
| 500 BC | Dumbbell | A piece of exercise equipment. | ||
| 500 BC | Cork | The bark of the cork oak. | ||
| 500 BC | Stilts | Poles with foot rests. | ||
| 500 BC | Padlock | A portable lock with a shackle. | ||
| 500 BC | Crossbow | A bow on a stock with a trigger mechanism. | Bow and arrow | |
| 500 BC | Candle | A wick in solid fuel. | ||
| 400 BC | Catapult | A throwing machine that stores energy in elastic parts. | Trebuchet | |
| 400 BC | Incubator | A device for hatching chicks; with a thermostat — Réaumur. | Infant incubator | |
| 400 BC | Camera obscura | A dark chamber with a hole that forms an inverted image. | Camera | |
| 350 BC | Barrel | A wooden container of staves bound with hoops. | ||
| 330 BC | Diving bell | A bell filled with air for working underwater. | Diving suit | |
| 312 BC | Aqueduct | A conduit that brings water by gravity. | ||
| 300 BC | Gear | A toothed wheel that transmits rotation and changes speed and torque. | ||
| 300 BC | Water wheel | A wheel with paddles turned by flowing water. | Turbine, Water turbine | |
| 300 BC | Euclidean geometry | Euclid’s Elements. | Trigonometry | |
| 300 BC | Noria | A water-lifting wheel with buckets turned by the current. | ||
| 300 BC | Chain mail | Armour made of interlinked rings. | Plate armour | |
| 300 BC | Sakia | A water-lifting wheel driven by an animal through a gear. | ||
| 300 BC | Gristmill | A mill for grinding grain into flour. | Quern | Roller mill |
| 300 BC | Breakwater | A structure that protects a harbour. | ||
| 300 BC | Watermill | A mill whose millstones are turned by a water wheel. | ||
| 280 BC | Lighthouse | A tower with a fire for navigation; the Lighthouse of Alexandria. | ||
| 250 BC | Lever | A simple machine that multiplies force through leverage. Described by Archimedes. | ||
| 250 BC | Valve | A device that lets flow pass in one direction or shuts it off. | ||
| 250 BC | Piston pump | Ctesibius’s pump: a piston draws in and pushes out liquid. | Watt steam engine, Vacuum pump | |
| 250 BC | Archimedes’ principle | A submerged body is pushed up by a buoyant force. | ||
| 250 BC | Screw | A simple machine: an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder; turns rotation into linear motion. | Inclined plane | Screw thread |
| 250 BC | Check valve | A valve that lets flow pass in one direction only. | ||
| 250 BC | Archimedes’ screw | A screw inside a tube that lifts water as it turns. | Propeller, Auger | |
| 250 BC | Screw thread | A helical ridge on a rod or in a hole. | Screw | |
| 250 BC | Cylinder | A hollow chamber in which a piston moves. | ||
| 250 BC | Auger | A screw conveyor for loose and viscous materials. | Archimedes’ screw | |
| 250 BC | Block and tackle | A system of pulleys that multiplies force. | ||
| 250 BC | Pipe organ | A wind keyboard instrument; Ctesibius’s hydraulis. | ||
| 200 BC | Roman concrete | Concrete made with lime and volcanic ash. | Mortar | Concrete |
| 200 BC | South-pointing spoon (Chinese compass) | A lodestone spoon that points south. | Compass | |
| 200 BC | Cam | A projection on a shaft that turns rotation into pushes. | ||
| 200 BC | Trip hammer | A hammer lifted by a cam on a water wheel. | Hammer | Steam hammer |
| 200 BC | Armillary sphere | A model of the celestial sphere made of rings. | ||
| 200 BC | Worm gear | A screw-like worm turns a gear wheel at a right angle. | ||
| 200 BC | Wok | A Chinese round-bottomed pan. | ||
| 200 BC | Thimble | Finger protection when sewing. | ||
| 200 BC | Parchment | A writing material made from prepared animal skin. | ||
| 150 BC | Astrolabe | An angle-measuring instrument and analogue calculator of celestial positions. | Quadrant | |
| 150 BC | Trigonometry | The relations between angles and sides (Hipparchus). | Euclidean geometry | |
| 141 BC | Paper Cai Lun | A material made of plant fibres; the oldest find is from Fangmatan (2nd century BC), and Cai Lun improved the technique (105). | Papyrus | |
| 100 BC | Belt drive | Transmitting rotation by a belt between pulleys. | ||
| 100 BC | Screw press | A press in which a screw produces the force; used to press grapes and olives. | ||
| 100 BC | Ratchet | A toothed wheel with a pawl — rotation in one direction. | ||
| 100 BC | Rack and pinion | A gear on a toothed rack: rotation ↔ linear motion. | ||
| 100 BC | Hypocaust | Roman underfloor heating with hot air. | Central heating | |
| 100 BC | Surgical forceps | Tongs for grasping tissue. | Haemostat | |
| 100 BC | Dome | A three-dimensional arch that spans a round room. | Arch, Vault | |
| 100 BC | Formwork | A mould for pouring concrete. | ||
| 100 BC | Hand plane | A tool for planing wood with a blade in a stock. | ||
| 100 BC | Antikythera mechanism | An ancient Greek geared mechanism for calculating the positions of celestial bodies. | ||
| 70 BC | Amphitheatre | An oval theatre with tiers (the Colosseum). | ||
| 50 BC | Glassblowing | Blowing objects from molten glass with a blowpipe. | ||
| 15 BC | Odometer | A distance counter; described by Vitruvius. | Taximeter | |
| 30 | Greenhouse | A glazed structure for growing plants. | Crystal Palace | |
| 50 | Heron’s aeolipile | A ball spun by jets of steam — the oldest steam turbine. | Vending machine, Turbine | |
| 100 | Window glass | Glazing for windows. | ||
| 100 | Codex (book) | A book of bound leaves instead of a scroll. | E-reader | |
| 100 | Sternpost rudder | A rudder hung on the sternpost (China; Europe from the 12th century). | ||
| 100 | Rudder | A pivoting plate for steering a ship. | ||
| 100 | Wheelbarrow | A one-wheeled cart — a second-class lever. | ||
| 100 | Catamaran | A vessel with two hulls. | ||
| 132 | Zhang Heng’s seismoscope | A bronze vessel with balls that showed the direction of an earthquake. | Seismograph | |
| 132 | Seismograph | Records ground vibrations (Zhang Heng; modern ones use pendulums). | Zhang Heng’s seismoscope | |
| 150 | Quadrant | An angle gauge for measuring the altitude of celestial bodies. | Astrolabe | |
| 200 | Lateen sail | A triangular sail that lets a ship sail against the wind. | ||
| 220 | Woodblock printing | Printing from a carved wooden block. | Movable type | |
| 250 | Hierapolis sawmill | The oldest known machine with a crank and connecting rod. | Sawmill | |
| 250 | South-pointing chariot | A Chinese cart with a differential gear that keeps its figure pointing one way. | ||
| 300 | Stirrup | A foot support for a rider. | Saddle | |
| 300 | Flail | A tool for threshing by hand. | Threshing machine | |
| 300 | Damascus steel | Patterned steel famous for the strength of its blades. | ||
| 400 | Hydrometer | A float with a scale: the denser the liquid, the higher it floats. It is used to measure the density of milk, syrup or battery acid. | ||
| 400 | Trebuchet | A counterweight throwing machine. | Catapult | |
| 500 | Horse collar | A harness that let a horse pull heavy loads without choking. | ||
| 500 | Hindu–Arabic numerals | The decimal positional system. | Binary number system | |
| 500 | Horseshoe | Iron protection for a hoof. |