10 Mysterious Ancient Inventions Science Still Can't Explain

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Ancient civilizations crafted remarkable inventions that still perplexed modern scientists. Scattered across the globe, these artifacts demonstrate advanced knowledge and ingenuity that seems far beyond the capabilities of their time. Many of these creations, from complex mechanisms to massive stone structures, continue to challenge our understanding of ancient technologies.

Despite ongoing research, the purpose and methods behind these innovations remain elusive, sparking endless debate and fascination. The mysteries surrounding these ancient inventions leave us with more questions than answers as science struggles to unravel their secrets fully. Keep reading to discover ten mysterious ancient inventions science still can’t explain.

Antikythera Mechanism

Mysterious Ancient Inventions Science Still Can't Explain — Image Credit: Tilemahos Efthimiadis/Wikimedia Commons

Discovered in 1901 from Greek Shipwrecks, the Antikythera Mechanism still poses questions to modern scientists. This helix device consists of several nested bronzed gears believed to have been designed to compute astronomical phenomena such as eclipses and planetary positions.

Even today’s technology scientists cannot explain how the ancient Greeks created this precise instrument many centuries before any comparable devices appeared.

Nazca Lines

Sculptured on the sandy surface of the Peruvian desert, the Nazca Lines are animal and plant, as well as other bizarre shapes. These large images date back to the period between 500 BCE and 500 CE and can only be seen properly from an aerial perspective, which raises a number of questions regarding how they were made with no access to aviation means in ancient times.

Scholars have discussed their functions, which may include religious rites and calendars, but none of them has been proven true to this date.

Baghdad Battery

The Baghdad Battery, an artifact found in 1936 in Iraq, is a clay vessel containing an iron rod and a copper cylinder. According to some historians, it might have been a forerunner of the battery and could, in fact, produce a small electrical current.

Still, nobody knows explicitly what it was used for. That the Baghdad Battery does not have counterparts in neighboring areas and its purpose remains unknown has preserved the artifact’s enigmatic character.

Roman Dodecahedrons

Roman dodecahedrons are small, hollow structures found by archaeologists across certain parts of Europe. They are tiny and metallic and designed like a twelve-sided die; they belong to Roman times.

It is unclear what their function was, as none of the inscriptions allude to them, and their form does not correspond to any tools or ornaments recognizable in Mesopotamia. Theories have covered military equipment as well as religious objects, but none of them are calculated to be true.

Phaistos Disc

The symbols are currently inscribed in a spiral form on both sides of the disc, which was found in Crete. Although these artifacts were discovered recently, archaeologists still consider them one of their greatest mysteries. These clay disks are about 3200 years old and were made around 1700 BCE.

The symbols have dwindled in their meaning and usage. To global scholars, no one has been able to easily explain what they symbolize or their manufactèred purpose since there is no correlation or similitude to any known tongue or language. Despite the great effort it took to decrypt the disc, little is known about where it came from or what purpose it originally served.

Stone Spheres of Costa Rica

Quite recently, stone balls, nearly 2 meters in diameter, polished round to perfection, have been discovered in the middle of the Jungles in Costa Ric here and there. Most of these ‘stones’ are very big, some weighing up to several tons, and their origins are considered pre-Colombian, though the specific history of these works of art is not well understood.

That is why these statues are so interesting: nobody knows who carved them with such a great level of detail and for what. So far, nobody has identified why so much effort was put into creating them and how they were used.

Voynich Manuscript

Voynich Manuscript, a text containing illustrations written in an unaccepted script, has been a subject of discussion by cryptographers, linguists, and historians for over a century. These drawings from the early fifteenth century include such items of interest as plants that resemble aliens, Zodiac signs, and human beings, all outlined with unreadable texts.

Several attempts have been made to translate its content or define its function, but the manuscript remained invulnerable and closed to all attempts, and therefore, its creation remains a mystery.

Shroud of Turin

Krzysztof Dobrzański — Image Credit: Krzysztof Dobrza/Wikimedia Commons

The Shroud of Turin is an ancient rectangular piece of linen fabric with a very faint meaning imprinted on it that has been claimed to be that of Jesus Christ. Although the image has gone through various scientific vignettes, no one can explain how we got it or whether it was created in the time of Jesus.

It is still uncertain how this image was put on the cloth: Some Pelerin argues that it was created miraculously, while some medieval forgers argue that this is a product of their work.

Saksaywaman Walls

The ancient colossal Saksaywaman of carved stone structures in Peru still poses unanswerable questions today. The Incas constructed these walls; the rocks in their construction are very large, and they fit perfectly into the wall, so it is almost impossible to insert a piece of paper between them.

For this reason, people do not understand how they quarried, moved, and carved these huge stones based on the restricted means then available to the Incas. As for the techniques they used, they became unstated.

Iron Pillar of Delhi

Today, the Iron Pillar at Delhi measures over 23 feet tall and, while over 1,600 years old, is not observably rusty or corroded. Composed of wrought iron, its material and construction method still baffle metallurgists to date.

The material used in modern cast iron oxidizes over time, and hence, the pillar has been preserved up to date and is barely rusty, thus raising the question of how the ancients fashioned such a structure technologically.

Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.