When the Spanish encountered the native people of South America in the 15th and 16th centuries, they marveled at the abundance of gold and silver. In fact, the ancient peoples of Peru began making things from gold and silver about 3,000 years ago! Readers will be as fascinated as those first Spaniards were with the inventive and useful items the Aztec, Maya, and Inca cultures created before any Europeans arrived in the Americas. From hieroglyphs and special record-keeping systems to well-developed Incan roads, the technology described adds fun and interesting scientific detail to a common subject of the social studies curriculum. Readers will find even more facts about each topic in the sidebars of each section as well as on a helpful timeline, including information about farming, communication, and transportation. Colorful photographs of buildings and artifacts as well as artistic renderings of history will draw readers into the world of the ancient Americas.

There is no more fundamental resource than water. The basis of all life, water is fast becoming a key issue in today’s world, as well as a source of conflict. This fascinating book, which sets out many of the ingenious methods by which ancient societies gathered, transported and stored water, is a timely publication as overextraction and profligacy threaten the existence of aquifers and watercourses that have supplied our needs for millennia. It provides an overview of the water technologies developed by a number of ancient civilizations, from those of Mesopotamia and the Indus valley to later societies such as the Mycenaeans, Minoans, Persians, and the ancient Egyptians. Of course, no book on ancient water technologies would be complete without discussing the engineering feats of the Romans and Greeks, yet as well as covering these key civilizations, it also examines how ancient American societies from the Hohokams to the Mayans and Incas husbanded their water supplies. This unusually wide-ranging text could offer today’s parched world some solutions to the impending crisis in our water supply. "This book provides valuable insights into the water technologies developed in ancient civilizations which are the underpinning of modern achievements in water engineering and management practices. It is the best proof that "the past is the key for the future." Andreas N. Angelakis, Hellenic Water Supply and Sewerage Systems Association, Greece "This book makes a fundamental contribution to what will become the most important challenge of our civilization facing the global crisis: the problem of water. Ancient Water Technologies provides a complete panorama of how ancient societies confronted themselves with the management of water. The role of this volume is to provide, for the first time on this issue, an extensive historical and scientific reconstruction and an indication of how traditional knowledge may be employed to ensure a sustainable future for all." Pietro Laureano, UNESCO expert for ecosystems at risk, Director of IPOGEA-Institute of Traditional Knowledge, Italy

A detailed look into ancient advanced technology, science, and medicine--some of which has yet to be reproduced today • Explores countless examples of ancient high tech, including robotics, artificial intelligence, aircraft, solar-powered cannons, high-speed drills, illuminated underground temples, massive refrigerators, and subterranean cities • Examines evidence of advanced medicine in ancient times • Includes examples from ancient Egypt, China, Greece, Babylon, Siberia, the Americas, and India The first self-igniting match was invented in 1805 by Jean Chancel, a French chemist. Yet, in Babylon, 3,600 years before, identical sulfur matches were in common use. On the Panchavarnaswamy Temple in India, built millennia ago, there is a detailed carving of a man on a bicycle, yet the bicycle wasn’t invented in the modern world until 1817. These inventions are only two examples of technology lost in the Dark Ages. Exploring the sophisticated tech achieved by ancient civilizations hundreds and thousands of years ago, Frank Joseph examines evidence of robotics and other forms of artificial intelligence; manned flight, such as hot-air balloons and gliders; and military science, including flamethrowers, biological warfare, poison gas, and solar-powered cannons. He reveals how ancient construction engineers excavated subterranean cities, turned stone walls into glass, lifted 100-ton blocks of granite, illuminated underground temples and pyramids, and stored their food in massive refrigerators. Examples explored in the book include the first known alarm clock, invented by Plato in 4th-century-BC Greece; 600-year-old Aztec whistles that reproduce animal sounds and human voices with uncanny accuracy; Stone Age jewelry from Siberia worked by a high-speed drill; sex robots in ancient Troy, Greece, and China; ancient Egyptian aircraft; and India’s iron pillar exposed to sixteen hundred years of monsoons but still standing rust-free. The author also explores evidence of advanced medicine in ancient times, particularly in Egypt and China, from brain surgery, optometry, and prosthetics to dentistry, magnet therapy, and cancer cures. By examining the achievements of our ancient ancestors, we can not only reverse-engineer their inventions but also learn from their civilizations’ mistakes, enabling us to avoid more dark ages. Imagine how scientifically advanced humanity would be if our early achievements had escaped destruction and been allowed to develop?

Examines the machines created by ancient cultures.

At their peak, the ancient Maya lived in one of the most advanced civilizations in the world. Their calendar system, celestial observations, and architecture give us clues to the greatness of their technology. This book introduces readers to the many unique technological devices and breakthroughs created by the ancient Maya. Readers will learn about the historical context of Maya technology through primary sources, such as artifacts and architectural ruins, and accessible, fact-filled text. Photographs of what the Maya left behind will give readers an in-depth look into the amazing creations of this ancient civilization.

Technology is guiding force in all civilizations. Readers discover the role technology played in ancient Aztec life through text designed to reflect essential social studies curriculum topics. Accessible text introduces readers to the technology used by ancient Aztecs, helping them make their own comparisons to the technology available to us today. Colorful photographs and historical images bring readers into the world of the ancient Aztec people. Primary sources are also included to enhance readers’ learning experience. What did the Aztec people use to make their tools and weapons? Readers will have fun finding out!