The Best of the Ancient World

One of the most impressive and feared dictators of all time, Ghenghis Khan hailed from Mongolia and ran the Mongol Empire - which would become the largest Empire in history.

The Romans constructed aqueducts across their Empire (including the UK) which enabled water to be collected, transported and supplied to cities, towns and private households. A true ancient marvel, the aqueducts changed the world of plumbing forever.

Tutankhamun and his tomb full of ancient treasures (the majority of which were fully in tact) were discovered by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon and their team in 1922. Their findings have become some of the best quality and in tact Ancient Egyptian artifacts ever found and have been viewed by millions of people in various museums across the world ever since.

Dating back to as early at 7th century BC, the Great Wall of China stretches across China from Dandong in the east to Lop Lake in the west and spans 5,500 miles. This architectural wonder was built to protect the Chinese empires from invasion and raids from various Eurasian tribes and empires.

Where would modern weaponry be without gunpowder? Original gunpowder was invented in China in the 9th century and led to both the invention of fireworks and various weapons. It would then gradually spread throughout the rest of the world and today is the most common chemical explosive used in weapons.

When it comes to impressive ancient cities, it's hard to beat Rome - many of which ancient structures still stand today. The centre point of an ancient Empire that would at one point rule an estimated 90 million people, it is believed to have been founded in 753 BC and was ruled by the Romans until 476 AD.

The Battle of Carthage, in 149 BC, was between the population of Carthage City in Africa and the Roman Empire. The Carthaginians refused to surrender their city after defeat, leading to a battle spanning over two years. The Carthaginians were able to fight off the Romans by manning the cities walls and producing thousands of weapons. In the spring 146 BC, the Romans were finally able to break through the Carthage's walls and completely leveled the city and sold the majority of its survivors into slavery.

The Aeolipile is the earliest form of a steam engine and while in Ancient Greek times it was probably used more as an object of marvel than for practical use, its mechanisms and structure have been used as inspiration for many modern inventions including of course the steam engine and modern rail.

The Nemi Ships were discovered in the beds of Italian Lake Nemi in 1929. These were two ships built and belonging to Roman emperor Caligula in the 1st century AD. The larger of the two has been interpreted as an elaborate floating palace, likely inspired by contemporary lavish Egyptian barges. This boat not only contained mosaic floors and marble but also technology such as plumbing and heating that was believed to have not been invented until many years later. Unfortunately, these ships were destroyed by enemy fire in 1944.

Recovered from a shipwreck off the Greek island of Antikythera in 1901, the Antikythera Mechanism is the earliest known form of a computer. It is believed to have been used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses. Dating between 150 and 100 BC it matches similar technology that was not invented in Europe until the 14th century BC.