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Things the ancients knew

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  • 12-08-2009 3:09pm
    #1
    who what when
    Registered Users Posts: 811 ✭✭✭


    Theres a similar tv show but i thought it might be interesting to list some of the amazing things that people knew thousands of years ago without the benfits of modern technology. i mean the kind of thing that makes you go 'how in the name of jasus did they know that?'

    Ok i'l start.
    Around 240bc some guy called Eratosthenes calculated the circumference of the earth to within 2%!


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    #2
    Medievalist
    Closed Accounts Posts: 246 ✭✭Medievalist


    Both Pliny the Elder (77 AD) and Galen (c200 AD) suggested using willow bark for the treatment of mild to moderate pain. It wasn't until the early 20th century that this bark was refined into what is now called Aspirin. It wasn't until the 1970's that scientists actually figured out how it worked!


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    #3
    Barry O D
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14 ✭Barry O D


    The ancient builders of both Ireland and Eygypt were able to build huge monumnets that lasted thousands of years as well as chart the stars and understand the constilations. This would be past 3000BC and the architecture and knowledge used was not seen for another 2000-4000 years in other civilisations


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