Ancient Engineers' Inventions: Precursors of the Present

Premise: Representing and Measuring the Environment.- A premise: it all started with a drawing.- I.1 Elevations, Plan and Sections.- I.2 Protohistoric Drafting machine for the clay tablets engraving.- I.3 Examples of planimetries from the IV millennium B.C. to the I century A.D..- I.4 Ancient Units.- 1. Measuring Mass.- Introduction.- 1.1 The balance scale.- 1.2 The steelyard balance.- Observations.- 2 Measuring Distance and Slope.- Introduction.- 2.1 Jacob's staff.- 2.2 Range finders.- 2.3 The Astrolabe.- 2.4 The dioptre by Heron.- 2.5 The ancient odometers.- Observations.- Measuring a building height by an astrolabe.- Measuring the distances by the groma and by the surveyor's cross.- 3 Measuring Time.- Introduction.- 3.1 The sundial.- 3.2 Water clocks.- Observations.- 4 Orientation.- Introduction.- 4.1 The Sundial Compass.- 4.2 The Chinese South-Pointing Chariot Sundial Compass.- 4.3 The Windrose and the Magnetic Compass.- 5 Ancient Computation Devices.- Introduction.- 5.1 The Abacus.- 5.2 The Mesolabio.- 5.3 The Mechanism of Antikitera.- Observations.- 6 The Natural Energy Used In Antiquity.- Introduction.- 6.1 Energy from man.- 6.2 Energy from animals.- 6.3 The capstan.- 6.4 The treadwheel.- 6.5 Rough evaluation of the power from a wind motor.- 6.6 Rough evaluation of the power from a waterwheel.- 7 Wind Motors.- Introduction.- 7.1 The wind mills.- 7.2 Wings on the sea: the sails.- 7.3.3 The Flettner rotor.- Observations.- 8 Hydraulic Motors.- Introduction.- 8.1 Water wheels with vertical axis.- 8.2 Water wheels with horizontal axis.- 8.3 The floating mill.- 8.4 Water wheels in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.- Observations.- 9 Refrigeration and Heating.- 9.1 Air Cooling with Wind Towers.- 9.2 The production of ice.- 9.3 Nero's Sherbet.- 9.3 Wheat Pits.- 9.4 Heating and Thermal Baths.- 9.5 Energy Saving: the Sun Chimney Heating and Thermal Baths.- 10 The Production Of Water.- 10.1 The Air Well.- 10.2 The Dew Basin.- 10.3 The Qanat.- 10.4 Distillation.- 11 Lifting Water.- Introduction.- 11.1 The early devices.- 11.2 The Archimedes' screw.- 11.3 Norias.- 11.4 Pumps.- Observations.- 12 Adduction and Distribution of Water.- Introduction.- 12.1 Open ducts.- 12.2 Penstocks.- 12.3 The great cisterns.- 12.4 Water distribution systems.- 12.5 Pipes.- 12.6 Valves.- 12.7 Hydraulic mining.- Observations.- 13 Underwater Activities.- Introduction.- 13.1 Scuba divers.- 13.2 Diving bell.- 14 Transports.- Introduction.- 14.1 Roman charts.- 14.2 Railed cargo.- 14.3 The rails of Pompei.- 14.4 Ancient self-propelled vehicles.- 14.5 Early ball bearings.- 14.6 Transport on water.- 14.7 Cableways.- 14.10 The dawn of the flight in the antiquity.- Observations.- 15 Telecommunications.- Introduction.- 15.1 Acoustic.- 15.2 Carrier pigeons.- 15.3 Optical telecommunication systems.- 15.4 Lighthouses.- 15.5 The water telegraph.- Observations.- 16 Medicine and Health.- Introduction.- 16.1 Medical Assistance provided to Legionnaires.- 16.2 Reconstructive Plastic Surgery.- 16.3 Early Penicillin.- 16.4 The Beginning of Biological Warfare.- 17 Secondary Motors.- Introduction.- 17.1 Cranes and tackle.- 17.2 Gravity driven elevators.- 17.3 Siege towers.- 17.4 The trebuchet.- 17.5 Flexion elastic motors.- 17.6 Torsion elastic motors.- 17.7 Throwing machines operated by torsion motors.- 17.8 Mechanics of the throwing machines.- 17.9 Pneumatic motors.- 17.10 Small spring motors.- 17.11 Ancient steam engines.- Observations.- 18 Spinnind and Weaving.- Introduction.- 18.1 The dawn of spinning and weaving.- 18.2 The spinning wheel.- 18.3 The mechanical spinning.- 18.4 The automatic weaving.- Observations.- 19 Some Applications of Fire.- Introduction.- 19.1 Fire ignition.- 19.1.2 Optical flints.- 19.2 Marine fire - the Roman candle.- 19.3 Wind lanterns.- 19.4 Fire for warming.- 19.5 Fire for warfare.- 19.6 The protection from fire: asbestos.- 20 Automata (Towards automation and robots).- Introduction.- 20.1 The Hellenistic Age.- 20.2 The Middle Ages.- 20.3 The Ren