In 15 BC the Roman Emperor Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, and his brother Tiberius attacked, subdued, and destroyed a Celtic settlement and founded the city of Cambodunum. Today, the foundations of the Roman city lie beneath the town of Kempten, in Bavaria, but in the Roman period this was the province of Raetia’s chief administrative center, and it remained as the kingpin of regional power until 120 AD.
Cambodunum represents the oldest city on record in Germany and reflecting true Roman grandeur, its elite residents socialized at a forum, in public temples, and baths. Now, a team of researchers has discovered and excavated a luxury villa in which they discovered frescoed walls, a thermal bath, and Roman “underfloor heating.”
A hypocaust (Latin hypocaustum) in the Roman Baths, Bath, UK. A hypocaust is an ancient Roman system of central heating. The word literally means "heat from below", from the Greek hypo meaning below or underneath, and kaiein, to burn or light a fire. (Ad Meskens/ CC BY-SA 3.0 )
Romans Residing at a La Tène Cultural Center
Arkeonews reports that the new discovery was made in the Archäologischer Park Cambodunum ( APC), at Kempten, in Bavaria, Germany. The hilltops and thick forests of this region are encrusted with massive crumbling stone structures from the Celtic La Tène period (450 BC - 43 AD,) which came to an end when the Roman army invaded the Alps.
In 50 BC, the Greek geographer Strabo mentioned a town of the Celtic Estiones called “ Kambodunon,” however, no archaeological evidence has thus far been found at Kempten to suggest this Celtic settlement actually existed. “Cambodunum” was officially founded by Emperor Augustus in the 1st century AD because of the location’s strategic benefits. Not only did it offer access to the Alpine passes connecting the city with Bregenz, the capital of Vorarlberg in modern day Austria, but via Lake Constance and the Rhine, Cambodunum was connected with Gaul.
The villa was large, at least 800 square meters over two stories, and had screed floors, frescoed walls, and private hot baths, along with hypocaust heating under the floor. ( Maria Kohle / Kulturamt Kempten )
The newly identified Roman villa is one of the oldest ever discovered in Germany. The researchers found that Roman engineers had installed an underfloor heating system in the house. Known as a “hypocaust” these heat manufacturing and distribution devices were forerunners of all present-day central heating systems.
The Roman villa had a luxurious underfloor heating system. (Michael Frick )
Elite Romans Installed State of the Art Thermal Technologies
Hypocausts produced warm water and hot air that circulated through pipes heating the flooring. The warm air was also pumped through a series of pipes built into the walls, warming upper floors as well. By the 4th century, hypocausts were used extensively in both public baths and private homes around the Mediterranean and beyond.
Similar to this discovery, in 2016 Ancient Origins covered the story of a team of archaeologists excavating in Leicester city, England, who uncovered “a fantastic Roman mosaic in a home with underfloor heating.” So popular was this contraption that by 1400 AD sophisticated hypocausts were being installed in Turkish Baths across the Ottoman Empire.
Researching the ancient origins of underfloor heating one must go back to Neolithic North-Korea, where the earliest underfloor heating system was discovered. Dating to 5,000 BC, a series of clay floors were discovered that had been “heated, or baked repeatedly.” According to an article about the history of floor heating on Easyflow.org, by 3,000 BC Koreans had developed an oven and fire hearth system and by 900 BC a double hearth was being used: one for cooking and the other powering a floor heating system.
Top Image: This 2,000-year-old villa had luxurious ancient Roman underfloor heating. Source: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa
By Ashley Cowie
Frequently Asked Questions
What have been the greatest achievements made by humanity in the last fifty years?
Humanity's greatest accomplishment in the last fifty-years is its ability to communicate over great distances with unprecedented speed and accuracy. This is undoubtedly the greatest technological achievement in human history.
What we call "the internet" is a collection or tubes that connect us all. These tubes are made from fiber optic cables. Each cable can transmit data at 10 gigabits per seconds - more then 1 million times faster that the average home broadband connection.
This technology allows us to share ideas, knowledge, and culture across the globe. We've gone from having to physically travel to another country to now being able to access any information instantly.
The amazing advances in medicine, science and technology are also due to our ability share information. Scientists are now able to sequence genomes in half the time that it took 20 years ago.
Technological advances have enabled researchers to simulate complex biological processes in real-time. This is a breakthrough in our ability to understand the causes of diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and cancer.
These breakthroughs could save millions.
However, there is a downside to this amazing technology. Our day-to-day activities have increased in dependence on the internet in recent decades. This reliance has led to several problems, including cyberbullying, online scams, and identity theft.
The problem might be even worse. The danger of a global cyber-crisis is growing as more people become dependent on the internet.
As our dependence on the internet grows, so does our vulnerability to its failures. Businesses will suffer a loss of billions in productivity if the internet is down even for a brief period. Our financial transactions, our health records and government communications will all be compromised.
We are already beginning to see signs of what might occur if the internet stops working. Take a look back at Hurricane Sandy, which knocked out power supply to many homes and businesses across the eastern United States. Within days, hackers were using the internet outage to steal credit card numbers.
If you look around your own house, you'll find many devices connected to the internet. Your fridge can order food from Amazon. Your car will be able to check traffic conditions, and even book service appointments. Even your lights can turn off remotely. All these things are possible thanks to microprocessors embedded in them. This allows them to communicate via the internet with each other.
These microprocessors were unable to transmit data over their networks when Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast. It meant that cars couldn't start and stop engines, fridges couldn’t order food, lights couldn’t be turned off, and refrigerators couldn’t order food. It created chaos and confusion during an emergency.
This could be true in the event of a national crisis such as a natural or terrorist attack. Imagine how difficult and time-consuming it would be to respond in an emergency or to crimes. How could hospitals manage patient care without computers in the hospital? What about communication among citizens and government agencies
Good news: The infrastructure to prevent this kind of thing from happening is already in existence. Critical services such as water treatment plants and power plants are already designed to withstand storms similar to hurricanes. However, they are not designed to withstand a massive cyberattack that could cause a loss of all electricity.
For example, if hackers managed to take over a nuclear plant, they could shut down the facility within seconds. They could also cause panic by contaminating the water supply.
Even though the infrastructure exists, the real question is whether we will ever take the time to build resilience into our system.
Two scientists from MIT wrote a paper titled "A Failure Model of Cloud Computing" in 2005. They proposed a future that has no single point or failure. Every device has many points of failure. For instance, imagine that your smartphone loses its battery instead of just losing your laptop. This means that both your smartphone and computer must be replaced.
For safety, we have been able in the past to rely on key components like telephone lines and electric grids. But as more people move towards cloud-based computing, we're putting more of our lives online. We rely on technology that hasn't been tested in real-world environments. We need to make sure that these technologies can withstand disasters such as hurricanes and massive cyberattacks.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) work is exciting to me. NIST has teamed up with industry experts in order to develop standards that can help us improve the resilience of our technology. These standards will ensure seamless internet connectivity. Even if power goes out, phones will still work. Our refrigerators still order us dinner. Our traffic reports continue to tell us the roads are clear.
We will be better prepared for any type of event if all our devices are able to communicate.
What is the greatest human achievement?
When you make a difference, and change the world for the better, that's a great achievement. If you create something that's completely different from what was there before.
Great achievement isn't measured by how much money you made or how many people you helped, it's measured by how much impact you had on the world.
The greatest achievements aren't the ones where we find answers. We already know how to find the answer. But the greatest achievements are those that change the way we look at life. This changed our outlook.
Great achievements are often small because they happen slowly and quietly. These achievements may not seem significant at the time. You'll later realize how significant they were.
There are two types to greatness. The one that lasts forever is the best and the one that fades. A greatness that lasts is when people create something they love and treasure for generations.
That's why great achievements are usually done anonymously because people tend to admire them more when they don't know who did it.
But great achievements fade away quickly. You might not believe what someone tells about them. This is because you've grown accustomed to thinking of greatness as permanent.
It's easy to lose perspective of the importance and greatness that is so easily lost. So you could say that great achievements are rare. They are rare and only a few achieve them.
What were major inventions in the early history of mankind?
Think of the most important invention in human history. Now, imagine an inventor creating a device that allows us to do exactly the same thing for even greater numbers of people.
What would that look like? Is there a way to make it more beautiful? It could change the course of history. How would you go about creating such a device if given the chance?
These questions will help determine where innovation starts.
Innovation is the ability of solving problems in novel and practical ways. Innovation is the key for solving any problem. Innovation means creating something entirely new.
Let's now look at the difference between innovation and invention. Invention is the act or process of creating something new. Innovation is the process of improving on an existing thing. The bicycle was not invented until the wheel was in existence.
Both innovation and invention require imagination. They also require different skills. Innovation can see things that others cannot. They are able identify problems, think outside the box and find solutions.
An investor can envision possibilities. They can take a concept from one idea to another. They can communicate and understand their ideas so others can follow.
Innovation requires imagination. It requires being creative. It also requires creativity.
An investor should be willing to think outside the box. To move beyond their comfort zone. To be challenged to discover new solutions.
A good inventor realizes that the best solution might not always be the easiest. Sometimes, the hardest part of the process is finding the right question.
However, an inventor is not only interested in solving a problem. They want to improve something. They want to do it better.
Remember that there are two options when you think about your next invention.
- You have two options.
- You can improve on what already exists.
If you choose to improve, you should know that the first step is defining a problem. Next, find out if anyone else has solved the problem.
Sometimes the problem you are trying fix is no more valid. It has changed over time. This is called obsolescence.
Another reason that innovation fails is when the market is saturated. Too many products are available for consumers to purchase. This means that there is little demand for products.
You should therefore focus your efforts on niche markets and industries. These are areas that offer growth potential.
Remember that your product may not be available in the marketplace yet. This is why it is important to test your product. It is important that you test it. Let us know what you think.
Don't forget, last but not least, to consider whether your idea is worth following. Does your idea really make a difference? Will it improve upon something that already works?
You have to move beyond your comfort zone in order to innovate. You have to be willing to think differently. And it would be best if you were willing to learn more about the topic.
Experimentation is a must. You can also learn from your mistakes.
You can only discover what is possible by failing. Failure will teach you how success is possible.
Which invention has done the most damage to the earth?
The best inventions help us live more comfortably. Some inventions can cause great harm.
One example is the internal combustion motor. This invention helped fuel the industrial revolution and made our lives easier. However, when we use fossil fuels for energy, we also release carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming.
The laser is another invention. This device can effectively destroy objects even miles away. However, this device can also cause blindness and burns as well as death.
Another example is the atomic bomb. A city could be destroyed by an explosion from this weapon.
Because they improve our lives, inventions are wonderful. There are also times when inventions can cause harm. These dangerous inventions include nuclear arms, internal combustion engine, lasers, and atomic weapons.
What are some of the greatest human achievements?
Humans have invented many technologies, such as the printing presses, radio, televisions and computers. These inventions are often credited with drastically changing our lives. But, it is also possible to wonder what impact these inventions have had on us.
The Internet has transformed almost every aspect in our lives. We now have access to information, education, entertainment, shopping, social networking, news, dating, and more. The list could go on and on.
There are many examples of inventions that affect our daily lives. The inventions of automobiles and planes made it easier to travel faster. Innovations such as electricity (air conditioning), refrigerators, microwaves, digital cameras, and refrigerators have made modern life more efficient.
Technology continues to transform our lives. The inventions of smartphones, tablets, laptops smart watches, self -driving car, self -driving automobiles, virtual reality artificial intelligence (AI), augment reality, drones and other devices are making life easier.
Technology is constantly changing. Technology is constantly evolving, and new inventions are popping up all the time. It's hard to stay ahead. It's important that you keep abreast of the latest technological advancements.
Here are 10 incredible inventions that have changed our lives.
- Printing Press
- Radio
- Television
- Computers
- Mobile Phones
- Airplanes
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Laptop
- Digital Camera
Nowadays, most people enjoy living in a high-tech society. Many would argue that this was impossible centuries ago. But the printing press was invented and books are now available to everyone. Books used to be reserved for priests and monks. Nowadays, anyone can read.
Books are an integral part of our daily lives. They are essential for learning, studying, and even learning new things every day. Did you know that certain parts of your anatomy can be used to read? The ear, eyes, nose, mouth, fingers, and toes are all used to interact with books.
While books can be helpful for learning, what are the other uses of them? They are used for hobbies, work, and even exercise. You can use them to learn how draw from a book, or to create stories.
When you next pick up a book think about all the possibilities. You never know what other uses you haven't thought of yet.
What is the greatest scientific achievement?
We've come a long way since we figured out how to harness fire for heat. There is much to be done.
Scientists have achieved the greatest scientific successes when they have had an idea and made it a reality. Science is often driven by curiosity.
Sometimes it takes more then curiosity to achieve a breakthrough. Sometimes, you need a goal. Vision. An ideal goal.
The greatest scientific accomplishments have been made by those who pursue an idea relentlessly.
They would find ways to make those ideas come true, even if it wasn't immediately obvious.
That means thinking big, taking chances, making mistakes, and learning from them.
The most important thing to remember is that success doesn't necessarily mean failure. All that matters is that you tried.
It is important to find a way that you can keep going, despite failures, criticism, rejection, or setbacks. Keep trying until you succeed.
Don't worry about what the end result will look like. Keep doing good work.
Statistics
- With the sequencing of both the human and chimpanzee genome, as of 2012, estimates of the similarity between their DNA sequences range between 95% and 99%. (en.wikipedia.org)
- Also proposed as Homo sapiens heidelbergensis or Homo sapiens paleohungaricus.[208]H. rhodesiensis, and the Gawis cranium[edit]H. rhodesiensis, estimated to be 300,000–125,000 years old. (en.wikipedia.org)
- Nonetheless, humans retain a degree of sexual dimorphism in the distribution of body hair, subcutaneous fat, and overall size, with males being around 15% larger than females. (en.wikipedia.org)
- The linear view of human evolution began to be abandoned in the 1970s as different species of humans were discovered, which made the linear concept increasingly unlikely. (en.wikipedia.org)
- In their seminal 1967 paper in, Sarich and Wilson estimated the divergence time of humans and apes as four to five million years ago, Science Progress in DNA sequencing, specifically mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) (en.wikipedia.org)
External Links
en.wikipedia.org
twitter.com
nytimes.com
- Grappling With the Cost Of Saving Earth's Ozone (Published 1990)
- For Evolving Brains: A 'Paleo" Diet of Carbs. The New York Times
nature.com
How To
11 Inventions that Changed the Course of History
The invention the wheel made it possible to move more efficiently. The printing press revolutionized information dissemination. The invention and use of the airplane altered our relationship to space.
Some inventions are even more important. Here are eleven.
- The Microscope: This instrument allowed scientists to examine life under a microscope.
- The Telescope - This instrument revolutionized astronomy. Telescopes made it possible to view objects millions of light years away.
- Camera Obscura (This invention allows us to take images of sky.
- The Steam Engine - With the steam engine, we could harness the energy that would otherwise go unused.
- The Printing Press -- This invention made books available to everyone. Most people couldn't read before the printing press.
- The Compass-The compass is a tool that makes traveling much more simple. It is no longer enough for sailors to rely on luck when they reach their destination.
- The Lighthouse - Lighthouses and beacons such as lighthouses are used to help ship safely enter port.
- The Surgical Knife- These knives are used to perform surgery without having to remove vital organs.
- The Firearm-Firearms permit citizens to defend themselves.
- The Watch – Clocks make it easier to live a more comfortable life. We no longer have to worry about keeping time with different activities.
- Calculator – Computers can calculate at lightning fast speeds. They are used by scientists and engineers as well as accountants and engineers.
