Ancient inventions
By: Peter James & Nick Thorpe.
Contributors: Thorpe, I. J.
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: 1994
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 672
Subjects: Inventions -- History; Technology -- History
Description: We in the twentieth century tend to assume that our era has a monopoly on the inventions of clever machines, labor-saving devices, feats of engineering, and advanced technology. But as the authors of this fascinating and eye-opening book reveal, some of humankind's most important and most amazing inventions actually date back thousands of years.

Written with the pure joy of discovery, Ancient Inventions is a treasure trove of the triumphs and marvels of applied science, from the stone tools hewn by the earliest prehistoric people to the dawn of the modern era in 1492.

Historian and archaeologist team Peter James and Nick Thorpe have pooled their expertise in amassing this compendium of human ingenuity through the ages. Together they conclusively prove that our ancestors, however long ago they lived and whatever part of the globe they occupied, were brilliant problem-solvers.

Organized thematically, Ancient Inventions covers everything from medicine to communication, from high-tech devices to city life, from military equipment to sports and leisure, from transportation to human sexuality. Brimming with odd facts and entertaining curiosities, written with zest and humor, comprehensive and fun to read, Ancient Inventions is a wonderful celebration of the endless inventiveness of the human mind.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [622]-651) and index.
Table of contents: title: Surgical instruments -- Eye operations -- Plastic surgery -- Brain surgery -- False teeth and dentistry -- False limbs -- Anesthetics -- Acupuncture -- Mapmaking -- Skis and skates -- Odometers -- Wind cars and rocket cars -- Ships and liners -- The first Suez Canal -- The compass -- Lighthouses -- Diving gear -- Man-bearing kites and parachutes -- Ballooning -- Computers -- Clocks -- Coin-operated slot mahines -- Automatic doors -- The steam engine -- Automata -- Earthquake detectors -- Electric batteries -- Magnets and magnetism -- Magnifying glasses -- Aphrodisiacs -- Dildos -- Contraceptives -- Pregnancy tests -- Sex manuals -- Human and animal armor -- Tanks -- Catapults and crossbows -- The "claws" of Archimedes -- Flamethrowers -- Hand Grenades -- From gunpowder to the cannon -- Poison gas -- Mirrors -- Makeup -- Tattooing -- Soap -- Razors -- Perfume -- Wigs -- Clothing and shoes -- Jewelry -- Spectacles -- Umbrellas -- Restaurants and snack bars -- Cookbooks -- Refrigeration -- Chewing gum -- Tea, coffee and chocolate -- Wine, beer and brewing -- Drugs -- Tobacco and pipes -- Sewers -- Pipes and plumbing -- Apartment buildings -- Fire engines -- Banks -- Coins and paper money -- The reaping machine -- Watermills and windmills -- Pesticides -- Beekeeping -- Fish and oyster farms -- Drilling and mining -- Tunneling -- Mammoth-bone houses -- Cats and dogs -- Lavatories -- Saunas -- Baths -- Central heating -- Glass windows -- Keys and locks -- Calendars -- The alphabet -- Codes and ciphers -- Books and printing -- Encyclopedias -- Postal systems -- Pigeon post -- Telegraphy -- Bullfighting -- The original Olympic Games -- Ball games -- Gardens and gardening -- Zoos -- Theaters -- Musical instruments -- Keyboards -- Written music -- Fireworks -- Magic lanterns -- Playing cards.