Appreciation post: I thought the 'Roman concrete' durability claims were just hype

Then I saw the core samples from the Portus Cosanus harbor, which showed mineral growth actually repairing cracks over 2,000 years. Anyone else have a find that completely flipped their skepticism?

3 comments

3 Comments

wren_rodriguez2mo ago

Totally get that feeling. Seeing those old Damascus steel patterns under a microscope changed my mind completely. It's wild when the proof is right there.

jade_hernandez1mo ago

Right? The proof is right there under the microscope, and I'm just over here trying to remember if I left the stove on. It's a humbling reminder that people way back were probably a lot smarter than me with all my Google searches and YouTube tutorials. I can barely keep a houseplant alive, but they were working with literal fire and iron to make things that last a thousand years. Every time I read about those old methods, I just think about how my own "tech advances" are mostly just me finally figuring out how to use the self-checkout.

robinson.holly2mo ago

Wasn't there a thing about some old Viking swords being way more advanced than we thought? I read they found ones with super pure metal, like they had a way to get rid of slag that shouldn't have been possible back then. It makes you wonder how many other old methods we've written off as simple when they were actually really clever. What's the coolest old tech you've read about that surprised you?