posted
All of the things we see and experience today, of which we refer to as 'modern' civilization had their origins in the ancient Nile Valley, and were ultimately refined in Kemet. Much of what we think is new is not, and not always improved...
Air-Conditioning
quote: Ancient Egyptian air conditioning systems were along the line of what we might call “swamp coolers” today; they were evaporative units ( malqaf ).
During most of the year, the wind in Egypt is from the north. That provided two ongoing bonuses. The Egyptians could “float” downstream ( south to north ) and with the wind from the north, could use sails to get back up the river again ( north to south ). It also meant that ‘wind catchers’ could be placed on top of various buildings, such as homes, and as long as the north wind blew, it provided a steady stream of air into the interior. The Egyptians then placed pads of water soaked linen in the path of the moving air and the evaporation cooled the air before it entered the house. Some of these units had roof tanks which were filled with water and a slow drip kept the pads moist...
Ice-Making
quote: Egyptian winters can be downright cold. So cold at times that frozen buckets of water have been observed as far south as Aswan. Throughout the Delta and the northern Nile Valley, there are occasional winter cold snaps accompanied by light frost and even snow.
While temperatures going below freezing are rare, winter nights can still get close to that mark. Once again we deal with evaporative cooling to get the job done. When temperatures are near freezing, a combination of breezes and very low humidity can lower the temperature of a very shallow pan of water enough that a skim of ice will form on the surface. Actually our broken ice maker is no more than a crack in the bottom of the ceramic ice making tray ( jar ) which should be an easy repair. If we can get enough made ahead, we can wrap it in an insulating material, bury it, and it will keep quite a while. Nothing like fruit juice, milk and honey whipped into crushed ice on a hot afternoon.
Collosal Alarm Clock
quote: The Memnon legend was attached to the northern of the two statues (of Memnon, the Ethiopian/Amenhotep III) by the Greeks. A fissure ran through the statue and when the ancient stone was warmed by the early morning rays of the sun it was heard to give an eerie moan. The Ancient Greeks thought that the statue represented King Memnon, and the sound was him greeting his mother Eos. Unfortunately attempts were made to repair the statue by the Romans, and since this time the Colossi have been silent.
Medicine Anatomy (identifying and labeling internal and external body parts) Antibiotics Embalming Surgical instruments Medical specialists (Doctors who treated specific ailments) Dentists
Transportation Rudder Canals (including the first Suez canal) Navy (including the circumvention of the African continent)
Technology Steam engine (Heron of Alexandria, a native Egyptian, called Michanikos, the Machine Man) Automaton (Heron) Automatic door (Heron) Lock Key Clock Loom Ink Metal piping Egg hatchery Carpentry joints Fiberglass
Customs Wedding ring Handshake Table manners "Amen" (Hidden) Thumbs up, thumbs down
Food & Drink Pancakes Marshmellows
Agriculture Plow
Home Air-cooling system (noted above) Fan Master bedroom Canopy bed Indoor lighting - oil lamps
Communications Calendar Writing Postal system Carrier pigeons Drum
At play Checkers Senet Rattles Marbles Bowling Darts Doll making industry Mechanical toys Zoos Literature (novels, poetry, narrative, drama) Sistrum Bagpipe Trumpet Wind Organ (Heron)
quote: References: Ancient Inventions, Peter James & Nick Thorpe, Ballentine Books, NY Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things, Charles Panati, Harper & Row, NY
It boils down to what you mean by 'civilization'. Certainly, African 'civilaztion' doesn't start with the ancient Nile Valley complexes known as predynastic Egypt and dynastic Egypt. I thought you were a proponent of evolution of culture as 'processes' as opposed to being treated as single events; whatever happened to that?
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dissembling - to give a false or misleading appearance; conceal the truth, while not 'outright' lying.Posts: 15202 | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
^ Indeed so! Wally's gives a very excellent list of innovations by the ancient Kemetians, but then he had to ruin in with his own distortion of ethnology due to his own dogma when it comes to 'race'!
By the way, the true definition of ethnology is the study or analysis of different groups of people and their cultures and the relation and interactions between them.
Posts: 26238 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Mystery Solver: Re: Heading of the topic.
It boils down to what you mean by 'civilization'. Certainly, African 'civilaztion' doesn't start with the ancient Nile Valley complexes known as predynastic Egypt and dynastic Egypt. I thought you were a proponent of evolution of culture as 'processes' as opposed to being treated as single events; whatever happened to that?
My first thoughts as well, but good list, Wally Posts: 5555 | From: Tha 5th Dimension. | Registered: Apr 2006
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Indeed so! Wally's gives a very excellent list of innovations by the ancient Kemetians, but then he had to ruin in with his own distortion of ethnology due to his own dogma when it comes to 'race'! 
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