10 Ancient Roman Discoveries

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Great inventions from antique times to tools still used today with the origins in the Roman Empire. These are stunning ancient roman discoveries that changed the world.

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Number 10 Julian Calendar
The Gregorian calendar that we use today is actually modelled on a similar system going back to Ancient Rome. In their early stages, Roman calendars were influenced by Greek models, which followed the lunar cycle. However, the Romans considered even numbers to be unlucky and altered the calendar so that each month had an odd number of days. Then, in 46 BC, Julius Caesar proposed a reform of the calendar with the help of astronomer Sosigenes. The new version, named the Julian calendar, aligned itself with the solar year. There were 365 days in a year, grouped into 12 months and even accounted for leap years.
Number 9 Codex
The history of writing goes back far in time, to the clay tablets used by the people of Mesopotamia and then the Ancient Egyptians, who used papyrus books in the forms of scrolls. Paper wouldn’t be invented until the 1st century in China. A number of civilisations have made advancements in the way we preserve the written word. Yet, Romans are credited for inventing the bound book, called a “codex”. The word is derived from Latin and is currently used to describe the universal format of printed books in the Western World.
Number 8 Aqueducts
An aqueduct is a watercourse built to carry water from a source to another point that’s farther away. The term, which originated in Ancient Rome, can also be used in reference to a bridge that carries water over an obstacle. When it comes to aqueducts, the Roman standard for engineering went unsurpassed for over a millennium. Roman aqueducts followed the contour of the terrain from downhill gradients and moved water through gravity alone.
Number 7 Roads
The expression of “all roads lead to Rome” is based on the reality of the civilization’s expansion. While roads might not seem an incredible advancement in modern times, they’re one of the most important aspects of Roman progress. The Romans started building roads from about 300 BC. At the peak of Roman development, 50,000 miles of road were stone-paved, within a 250,000 total road network. During imperial times, all the Roman provinces were connected by great roads.
Number 6 Roman Concrete
Few of the magnificent structures gifted to the world by Ancient Rome, would have been possible without concrete. They came from a period known as the Roman architectural revolution, where concrete played a central role. It freed the builders from the limitation of stone and brick, enabling the creation of larger and more complex designs. Concrete quickly hardened into shapes such as vaults, domes and arches. Roman concrete, also known as “opus caementicium”, was different from the present-day material and consisted of volcanic rock, pumice and quicklime.
Number 5 Scrolls of Mount Vesuvius
In the 18th century, over 1,800 carbonized scrolls were discovered at Herculaneum. As of the making of this video, it’s the only library from antiquity that exists in its entirety. Because of their fragile state and the further damage they endured throughout the centuries, reading the scrolls has proven very difficult.
Number 4 Frome Hoard
Found in April 2010, the Frome Hoard consisted of more than 50,000 Roman coins, dating from 253 to 305 AD. An amateur discovered it using a metal detector it was then acquired by the Museum of Somerset, for over $400,000. Made out of bronze and silver, the coins were issued during the reign of Carausius. The coins were the first produced by a Roman Emperor in Britain.
Number 3 Nanotechnology
The Lycurgus Cup is a Roman glass drinking goblet that was created at some point between 290 and 325 AD. Its early history is unknown but it most likely ended up in a treasury from where it was taken. Nanoparticles of gold and silver were embedded in the glass material thus enabling the cup to change color, from jade to ruby red, under various lighting.
Number 2 Hoxne Hoard
This is one of the largest collections of ancient Roman treasure ever found. It was discovered in Hoxne, Suffolk, in 1992. After losing his hammer, a farmer asked his friend, to help him find it. Using a metal detector searching for the lost tools, they discovered numerous coins, jewellery and spoons all made out of precious metal.
Number 1 Como Hoard
In September 2018, hundreds of ancient gold coins were found in the Italian city of Como, in the basement of a former theater. The coins dated back to the fourth or fifth century AD, during the later period of Imperial Rome.

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