When we think of old inventions, we really don't think that some of the things we are using today date back that far, but you would be surprised. For example, when you are having that cup of coffee or tea and you put in your one or two teaspoons of sugar, you are using an invention that dates back to 1025 AD. The invention is the one that extracts sugar from sugar cane. Can you imagine that people did this almost 1000 years ago? What about checking your clock to see what time it is? When you do this, you are looking at an invention that was first created in China in 1092. Of course I am assuming that the clock is mechanical and not electrical. When ships sail into a channel it is often marked by buoys. The ideas of buoys is quite old. The first buoys were floating casks and were used around 1100 AD in the Baltic sea.

Eye Glasses

I think you are beginning to get the idea that some things you thought were modern inventions really aren't. If this is what you are thinking then you are right.

The idea of tanks in warfare is really nothing new. The Chinese made iron covered wagons and carts in 1125 AD to use in battle. I know, you thought that Leonardo da Vinci thought up the idea, but he didn't. As with so many things where we give credit to Europeans the Chinese were really first. When you see several colors on a printed page we can thank the Arabs for this technique. They invented it in 1100 AD when they printed seven colors on a page. When I referred to Europeans getting credit for things, I can't help but think of moveable type. The Chinese invented this in 1041 AD but in the western world it came along about 400 years later and the Chinese were never given credit.

When you take out a bill to pay for something, you are really continuing a practice that dates back to 1100 AD when the Chinese invented multicolored, printed, paper money. Take something like the parachute for example. History states it was invented by Andre Garnerin in France in 1797 but this is not true. It was invented in 1180, again in China. Quite a big difference in time wasn't it? The water powered sawmill was invented in France though in 1204 AD. One invention that I am sure annoys you as much as it does me is the toll road. You can thank the English for this because they invented it in 1260 AD. Eye glasses are though to have been invented in Italy in 1275 but there is a chance that they are even older.

Paper Money

India had been thought to have invented the first geared machine, the spinning wheel in 2380 AD. While they did invent the spinning Wheel, an older, ancient Greek, geared computer has been found in a ship wreck. Artificial Insemination surely must be a modern idea? Nope, it was used by the Arabs for animal breeding as far back as 1320 AD. When you pick up that dish of ravioli I want you to realize that you are eating ancient food. Ravioli was invented in Italy in 1283 AD, better check the date on the package before eating it. Hydroponics couldn't be an old idea? Wrong again, the Aztecs were the first known people to use it and the date was 1400 AD.

It is surprising to see that some of the things we think of as modern, aren't. It just goes to show you that our ancestors were pretty smart themselves.

Glass bottles were invented in Europe around 1400 AD. That screw jack you use to lift your car, so that you can change a flat tire was invented over 600 years ago in Europe. The process of engraving is a pretty old one, it was invented in Germany in 1440 AD. Watches were invented in Germany in 1500 AD. You know those big red fire engines that come when there is a blaze? They are actually related to the first fire engine that was invented in Germany in 1518. When you put a nipple on a baby bottle you are employing an invention that is over 500 years old. Nipples were invented in Europe in 1500. When you strike a wooden match for the barbeque you are using an invention from England from 1570 when the first sulphur tipped match was invented.

Clock

Did you even see those advertisements on tv for a knitting machine? The first knitting machine was invented in 1589 in Europe. When you flush your toilet you can thank John Harrington. He invented the flushing toilet in 1597. The thermometer was invented by our friend Galileo in Italy in 1592. If you happen to use a glass eye that was invented in Europe in 1579.

Maybe I will do this again, talking about even more ancient inventions, I enjoyed it.