- [Narrator] We tend to
think of our ancestors as less smart versions of ourselves. After all, they didn't invent smartphones, or the internet, or toilet
golf, truly visionary stuff. But actually, our
ancestors were much smarter than many of us give them credit for, and some things they created
have baffled scientists for centuries. From structures only
giants could have built, to a computer that
predates the age of Jesus, it's time to take a look at
some of the oldest technologies that even scientists can't explain. (relaxed twinkling music) Gadget galore. Do you know what the very
first computer looked like? You're probably thinking back
to the time of boxy monitors and wired mice that had
rubber balls in them, but computers existed before then, and I mean hundreds of years before then. We're talking about analog computers, pre-digital devices that use
the variation of an element and matched it up on a model
to help solve a problem. Think of a slide rule, for example, which allows the user to
do quick multiplication and division, that's a computer. However, the very first
of these computers was way more impressive than a mere math device, and it was created more
than 2000 years ago. This is the Antikythera Mechanism. An ancient Greek computer
which could predict everything from the exact
movements of the planets to the dates of each Olympic games. It's the oldest example
of an analog computer ever discovered, made around
the second century BCE. Remnants of this big
bronze device were found inside a shipwreck off
the coast of Antikythera. Well, now we know where
it got the name from. From 1901 onwards, it's been subjected to all sorts of tests, and scientists have desperately tried to figure out how it all worked. From what scientists do know, it's made up of over 80
fragments, possibly more, which fit together to create
37 gears and two dial systems that they believe were made
to track the moon and the sun. The dials each have pins that follow their own spiral groove, like a needle on a record player. It's assumed these were
used to foresee each lunar and solar eclipse decades in advance. The kind of thing we now
rely on Google to tell us. All of these fragments once
came together to create a mechanism that looks
something like this. As you can see though, the sheer amount of work
that was needed to create it, the accuracy to which it was measured, and calculating the constants
to predict these events without digital aid is hard for scientists to fathom even to this day. While digital computers
are much more advanced now, at least the Greeks didn't
have to worry about forgetting their passwords all the time. (picture swooshes) The Chameleon Cup. It's no secret that the
Romans were great inventors. They were the originators of paved roads, concrete buildings, aqueducts, plumbing, and even the Julian Calendar. Without them, Western society
wouldn't be anywhere near as advanced as it is today. But one invention from this era
has left scientists stumped, the Lycurgus cup. It's a fourth century cup made from glass, and it's completely captivating, not because it looks pretty, but because the Romans designed it to turn completely
different colors depending on the light. If the cup is lit from behind, the front of it will
turn a deep shade of red. But light it up from the front, and its color will magically become green. Pretty cool, right? It took the Romans much more than magic to produce this effect, however. They invented a type of
glass called dichoric glass, which means two colors in Greek. They did this by grinding
down gold and silver until they dissolved into a
liquid, producing a colloid. But inside these metals are nanoparticles. Nanoparticles are matter so small you can't see
them with the human eye. They're 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Inside the nanoparticles are electrons, which vibrate when light hits the cup, changing the color of the refracted light depending
on the observer's position. So it's these super tiny
particles within the glass that creates the stunning two-tone effect. But the thing is, scientists
don't know how they manage to master such an advanced technique, especially since the
Romans didn't have access to anything like microscopes and nanotechnology was only
discovered in the 1970s. For all we know, Romans might
have discovered it first, and then perfected its use
without even knowing it. Though that seems unlikely. Some believe the discovery
of this nanotechnology was just a happy coincidence, but whether it was intentional or not, you can still color me impressed. (picture swooshes) Giants in the sky. Have you ever wondered what a city of giants would look like? Everything would be so
big it would be impossible for a tiny little human to live there. But if you could visit a
town occupied by giants, it would probably look
something like Ollyantaytambo. This Incan site in Peru was likely built back in the mid 15th century. And boy, has it puzzled scientists. Among the many gigantic structures that make up Ollyantaytambo, the valley's ginormous
steps are the most shocking. With each step reaching up to 13 feet, and with there being 150 steps in all, there's no way they
were made to be climbed by puny human legs. Scientists have trouble
explaining how the Incans managed to create steps so much
taller than themselves. Unlike today, they didn't
have forklifts and cranes to build larger than life structures, so they've had to work
out what they did use. The most likely answer
is that they had a system of ropes and pulley to lift
huge rocks over their heads, but there's no way of knowing for sure. Some researchers believe that the steps aren't
real steps at all though. They may have been part
of a palace complex for the emperor Pachacuti, the Incan ruler credited with
rebuilding the entire village. Others think they may have
been garden terraces used to grow fruits and veg
like modern greenhouses. I wonder if they ever
grew any beans stalks. Giant city or not, it's one
of the most mind-boggling, impossible looking
constructions in history. Nowadays, it's taken
on a new lease of life as a tourist playground, and it's multiple stone buildings tower over every single visitor. It's secrets, however, are still hidden somewhere
deep within the rocks. If you wanna take a big step though, why not hit those like and
subscribe buttons down below? You never know what else you
might discover on my channel. All done, great. Now, what have we got next? (picture swooshes) Volts from a vase. From a glance, these objects
look like old junk, right? What's so smart about a
ceramic pot containing a tube of copper and a rod of iron? Well, what if I told you
that this is the making of world changing energy source? It was discovered in 1936, but
it's so much older than that. The artifacts, discovered
in Baghdad, Iraq, have been dated between 200 and 600 AD, when the Roman empire ruled the land. Tests on the iron and
copper cylinders reveal that a liquid was once inside the jar, such as wine or vinegar. Using an acidic liquid
like this allows electrons to pass from the copper
tube to the iron rod when the two metals are connected. This is because metals are made of charged particles called ions. When dissolved in liquid, these ions are able to move about freely, which then produces electricity. The real question, however, is how on earth they
managed to figure this out. Well, as with any scientific theory, some scholars wanted to
debunk the battery idea. But in 1978, the experiment
was put to the test with a replica Baghdad
battery and some grape juice. Once constructed,
scientists actually managed to produce small amounts of electricity. It was confirmed the battery
could generate one to two volts of electricity. This kind of power could have
been used for electroplating, where metals are coated with
materials like gold and silver via an electric charge. This could have been
used to upgrade boring, old gray metals into luxury items. Some believe it was also
used for electrotherapy, where your aches and pains
were treated using electricity to cure tense muscles. But to this day, scientists continue to debate its true purpose, and it's unlikely we'll
ever know for sure, unless they find an ancient TV remote. (picture swooshes) Metallic mystery. It's extremely annoying when
something rusts beyond repair. Anyone who's ever tried to ride a bike with a rusted chain knows
exactly what I'm talking about. If only there was some kind of technology that could protect metal from rust. Oh wait, there was. In the fifth century in Delhi, India, an iron pillar was constructed to honor the Hindu God Vishnu. Reaching 23 feet eight inches in height and weighing 6.5 tons in total, the pole has stood for over 1,600 years, and yet it has never rusted. This is incredibly strange, because when iron is
exposed to air and water, a chemical reaction
occurs called oxidization, which creates iron oxide, AKA, rust. However, despite being erected in the open and exposed to the extreme
heat and humidity of the area, this pillar has been completely
resistant to such corrosion. Scientists believe there
must have been a great deal of care taken when extracting
and processing the metal, which resulted in a layer of
misawite coating the pillar. This is a compound mix of
iron, oxygen, and hydrogen. Yeah, the gas, the resulting
alloy of which does not rust. How exactly they did this
though, no one's sure, because its existence was
only predicted in 1970, at which point no one had
actually seen it or realized the ancient pole was coded in it. Scientists are still
racking their brains trying to figure out how this
technology was developed, with companies spending
top dollar to find ways of creating misawite themselves. And yet, 1600 years ago, people of the time forged
a metal that would not rust with comparatively rudimentary
knowledge and tools. That just goes to show
how incredibly complex and ingenious the art of metallurgy is, and also how cheap my bike is. (picture swooshes) Tough to crack. Just looking at a hill is
enough to get me outta breath. But somehow, the ancient Incans
were powering up that hill with giant boulders in tow all to build this humongous structure. Sacsayhuaman is a Peruvian citadel of truly monstrous proportions. The mountain itself is about half the height of Mount Everest, with the base of the ancient citadel found at over 12,000 feet. The longest of the three remaining walls is over 1,300 feet long and 20 feet tall, with the largest blocks varying from a hefty 141 to 220 tons. It feels impossible picturing
human hands constructing this monolithic fortress, let alone moving each
mega block into place, but it's definitely there. How it was built though, no one knows. Built back sometime in the 15th century, the Incans used dry stone
to construct the citadel, placing each of the rocks
together so perfectly there was no need to
bind them with mortar. They're fused together so tightly
that even after 600 years, they're still stable. The rock solid formation has
even helped the ruin survive the deadliest of earthquakes. The gaps between the rocks are so tight not even a single piece of paper or the point of a pin can fit
through where the stones meet. Its construction would've
required precision and planning beyond anything the modern
world has ever seen. It wouldn't have been light work either, with even the smallest
blocks roughly weighing more than a blue whale. So how they managed to stack them so perfectly without cranes
or heavy lifting equipment is a complete mystery. Oh no, I'm thinking about
exercise again. (breaths heavily) (picture swooshes) Sword sorcery. Over a thousand years ago in
Syria's capital of Damascus, the local blacksmiths here were known as legendary weapon makers. Not because they made the biggest weapons, or even the most advanced, in fact, their fame came
down to simple swords. Now, this time, iron was used for most
simple short bladed weapons as the metal was strong and tough. But the blades were prone to breaking, as iron doesn't have a high elastic limit. They would add carbon to try and make the blades more flexible, but too much carbon made the metal brittle and prone to shattering. However, the blacksmiths of
Damascus sourced iron ore with the perfect carbon
content, known as Wootz steel, which gave the swords that all
important high elastic index. These Wootz ingots were expertly forged into long Damascus blades, which became renowned for
being tough, but flexible, resistant to shattering,
and were easily identifiable from the distinctive patterns
of banding found along them. Their reputation inspired legends. With swords of Damascus steel
fabled to be able to slice cleanly through rifle barrels,
tree trunks, and even rocks. Initially, scientists
dismissed the legend. "Yes, the steel had been strong
but not that strong surely." However, on closer inspection
of Damascus' steel relics in 2006, scientists
discovered carbon nanotubes in one of the blades. This meant the blade was super plastic, able to deform well beyond
its usual breaking point while being super hard
at the exact same time. Tragically though, in the 1700s, the method of making Wootz
steel was tragically lost. Scientists have been left
baffled ever since by exactly how such an incredible metal
was created at the time. And while you can buy
similar pattern layered Damascus steel today, real Damascus steel hasn't
been crafted in over 300 years. Well, at least that cut to the point. (picture swooshes) Superior sword. Damascus blades aren't the only weapons that have left scientists
scratching their heads. Over in China, the discovery
of the Sword of Goujian has had an equally baffling effect. The 22 inch long blade and 3.3 inch hilt of this tin bronze sword was discovered in an ancient tomb back in 1965. And from its appearance, you'd never guess it was
more than 2,400 years old. Created sometime between 771 to 476 BCE, the sword has barely tarnished with age, a feature that hasn't been observed in many other artifacts from this period. The sword itself was believed to have been created for Goujian, one of the last kings of
the long lost state of Yue. Despite being buried in damp conditions for more than two millennia,
the sword is sharp, with tests affirming that it still has the structural integrity to cut cleanly through a stack of paper. But how has this defied the test of time? Put simply, scientists aren't sure. They believe it may be something to do with the chemical
composition of the sword itself, with the blade formed
predominantly of copper. But the edges contain more tin content, which makes them harder and
more able to keep a sharp edge. The sword was also found in
a near airtight scabbard, but swords found in
similar situations have historically suffered
from at least some degree of minor tarnish. But the Goujian sword
is, in a word, perfect. Perfectly baffling to
scientists, I'm sure. (picture swooshes) Wildfire on water. A fire that gets outta control
can be incredibly dangerous, which is exactly why the Byzantine Empire
harnessed firepower for war. According to historical
records and illustrations, Greek fire was an
incendiary weapon utilized by the Byzantine Empire around 670 CE. One that was able to burn ships even as they were surrounded by water. How, by setting the very water ablaze too. Now, very little is known about the death delivery device itself, as records around it are incomplete. It could have been as big as a building, or smaller than a car, but the power of this invention
came from the fuel used to feed such a destructive fire. Historians have never found
the exact ingredients, meaning we'd never be
able to recreate it again. That's probably a good thing for us. But for the Byzantines, it was an essential part
of their weapons arsenal. It's likely that petrol or naphtha, which is another highly flammable liquid, was mixed together with sulfur or pitch. Pitch itself is made from
petroleum and coal tar, a very powerful substance
that repels water, making it capable of forming
a coat on the water's surface that was able to burn and
offer their enemies no respite. While scientists generally agree that the Byzantines
used pressurized nozzles to aim this deadly liquid at their foes, they have no idea how they
lit this deadly mixture, or how they were able to put it out again. Thanks to that all powerful
chemical makeup, once ignited, they would've needed sand or
vinegar to stop its spread. And how could they do that
if it was raging on water? (picture swooshes) Making the cut. The ancient Roman era is known for its beautiful sculptures,
with busts, statues, and reliefs carved out
in immaculate detail in order to preserve a scene
or person from history. However, one carving in
particular really intrigues the historical and scientific communities. This column drum, not for how rounded it is or
what building it was meant for, but for the incisions you can see lined up perfectly along it. Those deep cuts could only have been made by four separate saw blades
separated by a few inches, all perfectly aligned. Their consistency and the power needed to achieve this can only
have come from a machine. But ancient Rome existed
between the eighth century BCE to 476 CE, more than a thousand years before modern sawing
machinery was invented. So how is this even possible? Well, a relief carved into the sarcophagus of a long dead miller
might hold the answer. In it, a mechanical
contraption can be seen, seemingly powered by a large water wheel, which in turn powered
a stone sawing device. Reconstructions of such a
contraption have been put together to look something like this. And while it seems like some sort of complex Rube Goldberg machine, the science behind it
appears to make sense. Water drives the wheel, which has a cog extended
on a pole attached to it. As the wheel turns, the cog, slotted to fit along a
second cog, turns in tandem. This cog powers two separate wheels on either side of the cogs housing, each attached to a saw suspended within a frame over a stone block, which drive forward and back
in line with the rotation of the wheels. It seems complex at first, but when matched up with those
relief designs, it's genius. The ancient Romans really
developed stone cutting saws, but why leave four identical lines over one column drum, what
was the point of that? It might be that the drum was just a test, or perhaps someone was
trying to slice off a slab, or maybe they were just
testing out a design. While the exact reason
why is lost to history, there can be no doubt of the brilliance and ingenuity behind it. (picture swooshes) Riddle of the rocks. To an outsider, this
mysterious tech might look like a bunch of stones,
which to be honest, is true. But they're the most famous
bunch of stones around, aside from the Rolling Stones,
but that's another video. No, I'm talking about Stonehenge. Situated in an empty field
in Wiltshire, England, this famous ring of
rocks has been standing some 13 feet high since
the Neolithic period. Believed to have taken hundreds of years to erect between 3000 and 1500 BCE. But it wasn't a simple case
of digging these stones outta the ground and
standing them up though. These rocks were moved from
one place to the other, then stacked high like building blocks. How is this technology
available so long ago? Well, based on the geological makeup, it's believed that they
must have been transported from several hundred miles away, likely from one quarry
in the Marlborough Downs and another in the Preseli Hills. Then once they arrived, they must have hauled
them over their heads, each weighing over two tons, and planned a very specific formation. All this, but at the time, the most advanced Neolithic
tools were still limited to just spears and wheels. So how on earth did
they manage such a feat? Experts assume that several hundred, if not thousands of people
involved, dug large holes. The stones were hauled into position and then dragged upright into the hole with the use of an A-frame. Timber platforms are then
believed to have been used to raise the horizontal
stones onto the others. Exactly how though still isn't known. It sounds simple, but for people working with rudimentary tools 5,000 years ago, it just seems impossible. I mean, I can barely build an IKEA shelf, and that's with help. (picture swooshes) A line in the sand. Can you draw a perfect circle freehand? I can't even manage a
straight line freehand. So imagine the technology and strategy that it took to draw this. Yeah, that's a near perfectly
circular pattern drawn roughly to the size of a football field. These are just some of the Nazca Lines. A collection of geoglyphs, so-called because their
symbols carved into the ground, etched permanently into
the Peruvian desert. That combined length of
all the lines reaches over an astonishing 800
miles, which for perspective, is over 14,000 football pitches long. While scientists know they were created by making shallow incisions in the sand, leaving the dirt beneath exposed. The real question is, how did their creators do
this with such accuracy? The Incans engines carved
these shapes out on huge completely flat planes
between 500 BCE and 500 AD. And while it's fairly easy for us to make out all the
different shapes and animals by getting up high with
helicopters and drones, unless they could fly, there
was no way they could have seen what they were drawing. Experts believe they would've traced the giant geoglyphs using
nothing but guesswork, optimism, and perhaps some guidance from the stars. But they're too good to be guesswork, so there must have been
some ancient technology or long lost strategy that
helped them along the way. There's also no way of knowing
why they were made either. They could have been symbols
used to ask their gods and goddesses for help, or they could have formed
an astronomical calendar to keep track of the days and nights. To put it simply, scientists
don't know what they are. One thing we do know though, is that the Incans engines made sure we'd never lose sight of them. (relaxed music) Which technology do you wish
you knew the secrets behind? And which ones do you hope stays hidden for the rest of time? Let me know down in the comments below, and thanks for watching. (relaxed music)
