Have you ever wondered where some of the things we use on a daily basis come from? Do you ever think ‘who came up with the idea for this’? Many people are unaware that some of the most commonly used objects and inventions were the brainchilds of ancient inventors dating earlier than the 1400s, throughout.
Eyeglasses
Between 1268 and 1284, farsighted vision correction in the form of eyeglasses with convex lenses is said to have been invented in Italy during this time. It is believed that either Salvino D’Armate of Pisa or by Alessandro Spina of Florence was the first to produce such an invention. At the same time, early glasses were also being created in China; therefore the exact inventor to grab first dibs on credit is unclear. The first eyeglasses were not made with arms and simply perched on the bridge of the nose. Treating nearsightedness would take more than 1,000 years to find a solution, as concave lenses were not invented until the 1400s.
During the 1600s, glasses with arms were invented, yet Benjamin Franklin invented the combination of convex and concave lenses to correct individuals suffering both nearsightedness and farsightedness about 1775. These were called bifocals. In 1752, James Ayscough would come up with glasses with hinged arms, and also became the first person to create sunglasses by using green- and blue-tinted lenses.
Gunpowder
In China, gunpowder was an invention that launched during the 1000s. The Chinese used potassium nitrate (saltpeter), sulphur, and charcoal to make gunpowder, which they made fireworks, signals, and in later years, weapons to use in times of battle.
Marshmallow
Without marshmallows, there would be no S’mores or decoration for hot chocolate. Ancient Egyptians (about more than 3,000 years ago) first produced this sweet, gooey treat. The Egyptians fashioned the candy by using the root of the marshmallow plant, which grew in surrounding marshes. Today, the marshmallows we eat do not contain mallow root, but are instead substituted with gelatin.
Paper
Wood pulp and other fibrous materials are responsible for the object we use to express ourselves through the written word. About 5,000 years ago, ancient Egyptians found a way to transform the papyrus plant into usable paper. The plant was used to make thin sheets of paper, which came from papyrus pith, which was soaked in water and then pressed together with the grains at right angles. The material was then dried with the sticky sap of the plant generated into thin sheets. In the end, a durable writing surface was created. Situated in the Nile Valley of Egypt, papyrus is a grass-like plant with aquatic characteristics.
Another paper invention was invented in AD 105, when Ts’ai Lun (a Chinese official and member of the Chinese Imperial Court) found a way to grind plant material into a pulp, where it was later formed into thin sheets. Later, the sheets dry to make its final form. This process was embraced about 2,000 years ago, where he used silk waste during production. Additionally, early Chinese paper also relied on the bark of the mulberry tree and other plant fibers.
Compass
How would we be able to tell what direction we are traveling if it wasn’t for the earliest known compass (a gift from China) that was invented during the Han Dynasty (2nd century BC-2nd century AD)? The materials used to fashion the earliest compass includes lodestone – a magnetite ore with natural magnetic properties. Upon a bronze disk, a spoon-shaped piece of lodestone was attached and the lodestone always pointed to the north. At first, the earliest compass was not used for navigational purposes, but instead, served divination purposes (including Feng Shui), where people relied on the invention to figure out where to place their buildings.
Kite
That timeless children’s toy known to accommodate the younger generation on trips to the park or beach was invented about 2,500 to 3,000 years ago. While the invention is believed to have originated in China, other locations such as Malaysia and Indonesia have made claims to being the first to invent the toy. To back up the claim, some researchers suggest that the earliest kites were products of a large leaf attached to a long string, where a particular Indonesian leaf would make the described item.
Scissors
Thousands of years ago (approximately 1500 BC) scissors were invented during ancient Egyptian times. Researchers have uncovered an early pair of scissors throughout ancient Egyptian ruins. Unlike the scissors we use today, early pairs were made from one piece of metal instead of the use of two cross-blades, which pivot about a fulcrum. Around AD 100, modern cross-bladed scissors were invented in ancient Rome, where clothes makers and barbers used them to complete their jobs. As far as the rest of the population, scissor did not become as popular until quite a bit later – say throughout the 1500s when Europeans began to show distinct interest in the tool.
Silk
That beautiful silk dress or silk tie decorated a suit would not have been a reality unless the Chinese did not make strides about 4,000 years ago. The silk thread is a product of the cocoon of the silkworm moth – a small insect that first comes into the world as a caterpillar that eats the leaves of the mulberry tree. There is actually a Chinese legend attached to the discovery of silk, as it is believed the first silk thread was uncovered when a Chinese Empress by the name of Si-Ling-Chi was positioned under a mulberry tree when a cocoon fell into her tea. This is when she noticed that strong, silky thread emerged from the cocoon, which she then used to create silk.
Anemometer
An anemometer is a device that measures the speed of the wind (or other airflow issues, such as a wind tunnel). The construction of the first anemometer was a disc placed perpendicular to the wind, which was invented in 1450 with the help of Italian architect, Leon Battista Alberti. A bit later, Robert Hooke (an English physicist) would reinvent the anemometer. In 1846, an Irish physicist named John Thomas Romney Robinson would produce the spinning-sup anemometer, where cups were attached to a vertical shaft that spins with the wind, causing a gear to turn as a result.
Caravel
The light sailing ship used during the late 1400s was a product of the Portuguese, who developed this type of vessel, which would decorate the seas for the following 300 years. This is the ship that would allow the Portuguese explore the African coast.
Screwdriver
One of the earliest known screwdrivers dates back to the 15th century, as slotted screws were rather popular and was actually inserted inside of the screwdriver. The screwdriver was actually used to construct the armor of gallant knights. If you are interested in catching sight of one of these suits, one is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, New York
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