Humans have always been innovative toolmakers, though constrained by the technology of the time. Over the years we've produced contraptions reaching from the mysterious to the downright devious. Let's take a look at the...
Herd-Catching PitfallsFirst spotted by RAF pilots in the 20th century, the sands of Israel, Jordan and Egypt hold strange, kite-like designs. Each set consists of a pair of low stone walls, angled in towards each other and intersecting at circular pits. The walls are thought to be up to 2,400 years old, and were abandoned 2,200 years ago.
Researchers believe that these walls were actually animal traps, designed to funnel local game (such as gazelle) into pits. These drops were placed to exploit the natural terrain, either just over a ridge or in a dip. Animals moving at speed would suddenly be presented with the pit, with no way to arrest their momentum and avoid it. The watching locals they could then capture or slaughter the trapped wildlife at will.
One notable feature is that the walls were not tall enough to physically block the animals in. Instead, the low walls channeled the movement of the herds guiding them in the desired direction. Modern wildlife managers in the region actually use a similar tactic by laying down pipes to guide the movement of gazelle herds into corrals.
Only some (about a third) of the mechanism was found. The recovered parts were deeply corroded due to 2,000 years beneath the waves, combined with insufficient conservation methods. Using X-rays, period accurate Greek mathematics and computer modeling, researchers were able to determine the inner workings of the mechanism
The device seems to have been an orrery of a sort. A complex array of triangle-toothed gears turned at least seven hands, allowing the user to accurately track the movement of the Sun, Moon and planets. One dial acted as a calendar, another predicted eclipses and a rotating black and silver ball depicted the current phase of the moon. Pretty impressive given the time period!
Then along came John Bradmore, who designed a specialist tool for the situation. He built a set of forceps that could slot inside the arrowhead, with a screw mechanism that could force the tongs apart and thus "grip" the arrowhead from the inside. Having opened the wound as much as he dared, Bradmore was able to insert the device and pull the arrowhead out. The wound was treated with honey and wine - and the prince survived to become king Henry V.
The actual purpose of the spheres is unknown - but a lot of effort went into their creation. Lacking advanced metallurgy and modern techniques, craftsmen would have had to peck and grind with other stone tools until a perfect sphere was achieved. Given that the people of the Diquís were known to apply similar techniques to create stone masks, they clearly had it down to a fine art. Perhaps this was simply a way to demonstrate that talent?
- Herd-catching pitfalls that mystified pilots
- Antikythera mechanism - an ancient computer?
- Bradmore extractor - a tool to save a prince
- Mysterious stone spheres in Costa Rica
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| Hunters constructed cunning traps to guide wildlife into pits... (OrnaW) |
Herd-Catching PitfallsFirst spotted by RAF pilots in the 20th century, the sands of Israel, Jordan and Egypt hold strange, kite-like designs. Each set consists of a pair of low stone walls, angled in towards each other and intersecting at circular pits. The walls are thought to be up to 2,400 years old, and were abandoned 2,200 years ago.
Researchers believe that these walls were actually animal traps, designed to funnel local game (such as gazelle) into pits. These drops were placed to exploit the natural terrain, either just over a ridge or in a dip. Animals moving at speed would suddenly be presented with the pit, with no way to arrest their momentum and avoid it. The watching locals they could then capture or slaughter the trapped wildlife at will.
One notable feature is that the walls were not tall enough to physically block the animals in. Instead, the low walls channeled the movement of the herds guiding them in the desired direction. Modern wildlife managers in the region actually use a similar tactic by laying down pipes to guide the movement of gazelle herds into corrals.
Antikythera Mechanism
Found by sponge divers off the coast of Antikythera in Greece, this bronze and wood box may be one of the earliest computers created on Earth.Only some (about a third) of the mechanism was found. The recovered parts were deeply corroded due to 2,000 years beneath the waves, combined with insufficient conservation methods. Using X-rays, period accurate Greek mathematics and computer modeling, researchers were able to determine the inner workings of the mechanism
The device seems to have been an orrery of a sort. A complex array of triangle-toothed gears turned at least seven hands, allowing the user to accurately track the movement of the Sun, Moon and planets. One dial acted as a calendar, another predicted eclipses and a rotating black and silver ball depicted the current phase of the moon. Pretty impressive given the time period!
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| Arrowheads come in several varieties - but all can cause serious injury... (TheDigitalWay) |
Bradmore Extractor
During the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403 England, Prince Henry was struck in the face with an arrow. The projectile buried itself six inches deep through his cheek, where the head lodged in bone. To make matters even worse, attempts to extract the arrow pulled the shaft loose and left the head behind. Without being removed, the dirt-coated metal would probably have killed the future king - English longbowmen typically stuck their arrows point first into the ground rather than taking the time to draw from a quiver.Then along came John Bradmore, who designed a specialist tool for the situation. He built a set of forceps that could slot inside the arrowhead, with a screw mechanism that could force the tongs apart and thus "grip" the arrowhead from the inside. Having opened the wound as much as he dared, Bradmore was able to insert the device and pull the arrowhead out. The wound was treated with honey and wine - and the prince survived to become king Henry V.
The Mysterious Stone Spheres of Diquís
Designated as a world heritage site, the Diquís Delta of Costa Rica plays host to a number of pre-Columbian artifacts - including a collection of stone spheres. These spheres range from 0.7m to 2.57m in diameter, and likely escaped looting due to being buried in a thick layer of sediment.The actual purpose of the spheres is unknown - but a lot of effort went into their creation. Lacking advanced metallurgy and modern techniques, craftsmen would have had to peck and grind with other stone tools until a perfect sphere was achieved. Given that the people of the Diquís were known to apply similar techniques to create stone masks, they clearly had it down to a fine art. Perhaps this was simply a way to demonstrate that talent?
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