5 Ancient Egyptian Inventions We Still Use Today

Written by RealDealWomen
From: http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/

Photo: Archer10

A country that is rich in history, a land that has known great prosperity and despair, a world that is beautiful and full of life yet can be just as raw and difficult to survive in. Egypt is a place that holds the roots of humankind and secrets still undiscovered. Many of the objects we use every day and the use of certain everyday objects originated in Egypt. Objects such as the toothbrush, toothpaste, locks and keys, makeup, combs, wigs, deodorant and scissors. Makeup was used not for beauty but for skin-care; it was mainly used to protect people's skin from the sun's harmful rays. Let's take a look at just five of those objects:

1. The Condom

Photo: viaCherry

Did you know that even the idea of the condom originated in Egypt? It is said that as far back as 1000 BC, Egyptians used a linen sheath during
intercourse for protection against diseases among other things! Amazing
you say? Indeed!

2. High-heel shoes

Photo: Ed Yourdon

Ah yes, high-heel shoes. They say diamonds are a girl's best friend but in reality most of us have a much larger shoe collection (especially heels) than a collection of diamonds to wear. Let's face it, women (and men) LOVE heels! What is really cool about this sexy, sensual and yet sophisticated style of shoes is that they too originated from good ol' Egypt! Imagine as far back as 3,500 B.C., when it is said these type of shoes were being worn by the higher classes. The lower classes who were able to wear them definitely saw it as a privilege considering most of them could not afford to wear such works of art. However, I'm sure that the heels in those days were pretty uncomfortable compared to our modern day versions. If the lower class people's feet could have talked they probably would have thanked them!

3. Paper

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Yes, you guessed it! Paper is believed to have been invented by the ancient Egyptians around 4,000 B.C., although the name was actually Papyrus. It was the first substance used to write on similar to the paper we use today. The Egyptians would take a woven mat of reeds and pound them together until it created a thin yet stiff sheet. The next invention couldn't have been thought of unless Papyrus was invented first...

4. The Pen

Photo: Wikipedia Commons

We're sure everyone has heard the saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword", right? Well this pen is certainly mighty! It has survived through ages of humanity and is still in great shape! (Wish we could all say that for ourselves, eh?). Anyway, without Papyrus, these babies wouldn't have been needed. The people of ancient Egypt could no longer use things such as bones, metal stick or sharp rocks to write on the sheet of Papyrus so they had to invent something more useful that wouldn't break through; thus the almighty pen! Not only does this picture show you their version of the pen but these objects contained in the original pencil cases too!

5. The Water Clock

Photo: Wikipedia Commons

This list is incredible, I know; however it must come to an end. The last everyday object to originate from ancient Egypt listed here is the water clock. Never heard of that? Now you have. And guess what? Water clocks are still used to this day! They are more commonly used for decoration and for others to admire these works of art. However, the invention they preceded, the clock itself, is of course still used to tell time. Interestingly enough, it was hard to find a picture of an ancient Egyptian water clock, so we'll have to make do with this picture is of an ancient water clock in Athens, Greece. In this particular photo, the water would flow into another bowl, thus allowing people to time themselves.

All in all, the Egyptians were a clever group of people. If the ancient civilization were ro still live on today, they would be shocked to see how far many of their inventions have gone and how modernized they have become.

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London's Earliest Timber Structure Found During Belmarsh Prison Dig

ScienceDaily (Aug. 14, 2009) — London's oldest timber structure has been unearthed by archaeologists from Archaeology South-East (part of the Institute of Archaeology at University College London). It was found during the excavation of a prehistoric peat bog adjacent to Belmarsh Prison in Plumstead, Greenwich, in advance of the construction of a new prison building. Radiocarbon dating has shown the structure to be nearly 6,000 years old and it predates Stonehenge by more than 500 years.

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Jacobs Engineering UK Ltd acted as the managing consultants, on behalf of the Ministry of Justice, and the work was facilitated by Interserve Project Services Ltd.

The structure consisted of a timber platform or trackway found at a depth of 4.7m (about the height of a double decker bus) beneath two metres of peat adjacent to an ancient river channel (image available). Previously, the oldest timber structure in Greater London was the timber trackway in Silvertown, which has been dated to 3340-2910 BC, c. 700 years younger.

Wetlands adjacent to rivers such as the Thames were an important source of food for prehistoric people, and timber trackways and platforms made it easier to cross the boggy terrain. The structure discovered at Plumstead is an early example of people adapting the natural landscape to meet human needs. The peat bogs which developed at Plumstead provided ideal conditions to preserve organic materials, which in other environments would have rotted away. The peat not only preserved wood, but also other plant matter - down to microscopic pollen grains - which can inform us about the contemporary landscape.

English Heritage, the government's advisor on the historic environment, provides planning advice in respect of archaeology within Greater London and was involved in the discovery at the Plumstead site.

Mark Stevenson, Archaeological Advisor at English Heritage said: "The discovery of the earliest timber structure in London is incredibly important. The timber structure is slightly earlier in date than the earliest trackways excavated in the Somerset Levels, including the famous 'Sweet Track' to Glastonbury, which provide some of the earliest physical evidence for woodworking in England.

"This large area of development has been the subject of extensive building recording of the old Royal Arsenal (East) site as well as detailed work to map the buried ancient landscape."

Archaeology South-East Senior Archaeologist Diccon Hart, who directed the excavation, commented: "The discovery of the earliest timber structure yet found in the London Basin is an incredibly exciting find. It is testament to the hard work and determination of those who toiled under very difficult conditions to unearth a rare and fascinating structure almost 6,000 years after it was constructed."

Other notable finds from the archaeological excavation include an Early Bronze Age alder log with unusually well-preserved tool marks made by a metal axe. This item has been laser scanned at UCL's Department of Civil, Environmental and Geometric Engineering and is currently undergoing conservation treatment prior to its display in Greenwich Heritage Centre, Woolwich (image available).

The study of the samples will continue for the next couple of years as the archaeological team learns more about this intriguing structure and the environment in which it was built.

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The structure consisted of a timber platform or trackway found at a depth of 4.7m (about the height of a double-decker bus) beneath two meters of peat adjacent to an ancient river channel. (Credit: UCL)