We live in a technologically advanced age. We can gaze deeply into the cosmos, build complex structures overnight, and manipulate our environment to an extent hitherto undreamt of.
Even our homes are filled with the marvels of the modern age. But even though it’s easy to be dazzled by new inventions, many of humanity’s cleverest ideas came about ages ago. If you want proof, check out these everyday items that are older than you think.
House Paint
When it comes to refreshing a room’s décor, nothing gets the job done quite like a coat of paint from a ready-made can. And when one peruses the history of house paint, it becomes apparent that that isn’t a new idea.
Since the days of the cavemen, humans have been mixing their own paints and using them to decorate their homes. Still, even though most of us are aware of cave paintings, many of us don’t imagine ancient people taking a brush to the walls. But the ancient Egyptians and Greeks were painting their homes and tombs using techniques like frescoes and whitewash.
Batteries
Alessandro Volta invented the first “true battery” back in 1800. This is easy to wrap our minds around since Benjamin Franklin’s famous lightning experiments. However, it usually throws people for a loop when they learn another battery had been invented approximately 1550 years earlier.
These artifacts, known as the Bagdad Batteries, are terra cotta pots containing a copper tube and a metal rod. Inside the pots are traces of an acidic solution like vinegar. Technically, scientists don’t know what people used them for, let alone whether they were really batteries. However, reproductions have proven they can produce up to 1 volt of electricity.
Ice Cream
No one knows who the first person to invent ice cream was. All we know is it’s one household object that is older than anyone thinks. The earliest record of ice cream-like substances goes back to China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD). Back then, chefs used a combination of milk and flour that they heated, combined with camphor, then froze in pools of salted ice.
Eventually, these practices made their way west, where they combined with other ancient frozen dessert traditions like Arabic sherbets and Roman iced drinks. Eventually, in the 17th century, chef Antonio Latini added milk to sorbet and voila. We had ice cream similar to how we know it today.
Adobe Stock Image Credit: #167207995
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