古埃及人的五项神奇发明

Jonathan+Atteberry+&+Patrick+J.+Kiger

There may be no greater tribute1） to a society's ingenuity2） and vision than Egypt's pyramids of Giza3）. Being the largest one among them， the Pyramid of Khufu originally stood 481 feet （147 meters） tall， towering over4） monuments5） like the Statue of Liberty and Big Ben. Of course， the pyramids are only part of ancient Egypt's legacy6）.

Over the thousands of years ancient Egyptians thrived， they ushered in perhaps the most advanced civilization the world had ever known， and many of the devices7） of their society are still commonplace. You'll see in this list of five amazing Egyptian inventions.

估计没有什么比埃及吉萨金字塔更能彰显一个社会的创造力与想象力了。胡夫金字塔是吉萨金字塔中最大的一座，原高481英尺（147米），远比自由女神像和大本钟等历史名胜要高。当然，金字塔还只是古埃及遗产中的一部分。

在古埃及民族蓬勃发展的数千年之中，他们所开创的也许是当时的世界所知的最为发达的文明，在他们生活的社会中所使用的很多东西在今天仍然随处可见。接下来你就将看到古埃及人的五项神奇发明。

Eye Makeup

Sure， eye makeup might not rank alongside fire or the wheel as one of the most important discoveries in human history， but it gives the Egyptians a run for longevity. Since they first invented eye makeup as far back as 4000 B.C.， it's never gone out of style. Even more impressive， some cosmetically-minded cultures still create makeup using the same techniques pioneered by the Egyptians thousands of years ago. They combined soot8） with a mineral called galena9） to create a black ointment10） known as kohl11）， which is still popular today. They could also create green eye makeup by combining a mineral called malachite12） with galena to tint13） the ointment.

For the Egyptians， makeup was not limited to women. Status and appearance went hand in hand， and as far as the upper class was concerned， the more makeup the better. Fashion was only part of the reason for the Egyptians' notoriously14） heavy hand15） when applying eyeliner16）. They also believed that applying a thick coating17） of the stuff could cure various eye diseases and even keep them from falling victim to the evil eye18）.

Breath Mints19）

The next time you buy Mentos20） at the counter of 7-Eleven21）， you should thank the ancient Egyptians for devising a way to conceal the unpleasant aromas our mouths sometimes exude22）. Just as in modern times， bad breath in ancient Egypt often was a symptom of poor dental health. Unlike us， the Egyptians didn't gorge on23） sugary soft drinks and foods that contribute to tooth decay， but the stones they used to grind24） flour for bread contributed a lot of sand to their diet， which wore down25） tooth enamel26） to expose the pulp27） of the tooth， making it vulnerable to infection.

The Egyptians had specialists for many medical problems， but unfortunately， they didn't have dentists to fix their deteriorating teeth and gums28）. Instead， they simply suffered， and scientists who've examined mummies have found severely worn teeth， even in youthful Egyptians. To cope with the unpleasant odors from their rotting mouths， Egyptians invented the first mints， which were a combination of frankincense29）， myrrh30） and cinnamon31） boiled with honey and shaped into pills.

Bowling

In Narmoutheos， a settlement 56 miles （90 kilometers） south of Cairo that dates back to the Roman occupation period in the second and third centuries A.D.， archaeologists have discovered a room containing a set of lanes and a collection of balls of various sizes. Measuring about 13-feet-long （3.9-meter）， the 7.9-inch-wide （20-centimeter）， 3.8-inch-deep （9.6-centimeter） lane featured a 4.7-inch （11.9-centimeter） square opening at its center.

Unlike modern bowling， in which bowlers strive to knock down pins32） at the end of the alley， Egyptian bowlers aimed for the hole in the middle. Competitors stood at opposite ends of the lane and attempted to roll balls of different sizes into the center hole and in the process also knock their opponent's ball off course.

The Door Lock

Whenever you lock your door at night and slide the bolt33） into place， say a prayer of thanks for the ancient Egyptian invention of door locks. The earliest such device， created around 4000 B.C.， basically was a lock in which a hollowed-out bolt in the door was connected to pins that could be manipulated by insertion of a key.

One drawback of these ancient locks was their size. The biggest ones were up to 2 feet （0.6 meters） in length. Egyptian locks actually were more secure than the technology later developed by the Romans， who used a simpler design with a spring34） rather than a bolt to hold the door in place. The Roman locks were hidden inside the door， but compared to the Egyptian locks， they were relatively easy to pick.

Toothpaste

As we mentioned previously， the Egyptians had a lot of trouble with their teeth. While they didn't have dentists， they did make some effort to keep their teeth clean. Archaeologists have found toothpicks buried alongside mummies， apparently placed there so that they could clean food debris from between their teeth in the afterlife35）. Along with the Babylonians， they're also credited with inventing the first toothbrushes， which were worn-out ends of twigs36）.

But the Egyptians also contributed an innovation to dental hygiene37）， in the form of toothpaste. Early ingredients included the powder of ox hooves， ashes， burnt eggshells and pumice38）， which probably made for a less-than-refreshing morning tooth-care ritual. Archaeologists recently found what appears to be a more advanced toothpaste recipe and how-to-brush guide written on papyrus39） that dates back to the Roman occupation in the fourth century A.D. The unknown author explains how to mix precise amounts of rock salt， mint， dried iris40） flower and grains of pepper， to form a "powder for white and perfect teeth".

1.眼妆

诚然，眼妆可能不比火或车轮，算不上是人类历史上最重要的发现之一，但它却能让古埃及人延年益寿。古埃及人早在公元前4000年就首先发明了眼妆，自诞生以来，眼妆从未过时。更令人感到不可思议的是，在某些注重妆容的文化中，人们至今仍在沿用古埃及人几千年前首创的技术来配制化妆品。他们将烟灰与一种名为方铅矿的矿物质相混合，来制成一种被称为眼圈粉的黑色油膏，这种油膏在今天仍然备受欢迎。他们还能配制出绿色的眼妆，方法是将名为孔雀石的矿物质与方铅矿相混合，这样就能将油膏染上绿色了。

对古埃及人来说，化妆并不仅限于女性。地位与形象是密切相关的，而且在上层阶级看来，妆越浓越好。众所周知，古埃及人在抹眼线膏时下手都很重，但讲求时尚仅仅是部分原因。还有一个原因便是，他们相信在眼部抹上一层厚厚的眼线膏可以治疗各种眼疾，甚至还能祛邪避灾。

2.清新口气的薄荷糖

下次在7-11便利店的柜台买曼妥思薄荷糖时，你应当感谢一下古埃及人，因为是他们想出了这种办法来遮盖我们口中有时会散发出来的难闻气味。和在现代社会一样，口臭在古埃及也往往是牙齿状况不佳的一种症状。跟我们不同的是，古埃及人并没有贪吃那些会导致蛀牙的含糖软饮料和甜食，但他们用来磨面粉做面包的石磨却使其日常饮食中掺入了大量的沙子。这些沙子会使牙釉质受到磨损，导致牙髓暴露在外，从而使牙齿容易感染发炎。

古埃及人不乏治疗众多疾病的专家，但遗憾的是，他们偏偏没有牙医来为自己治疗日益变差的牙齿和牙龈，反而只能饱受牙病之苦。那些检查过木乃伊的科学家发现，木乃伊的牙齿磨损得很严重，即使英年早逝的埃及人也是如此。为遮盖口腔溃烂所发出的难闻气味，古埃及人发明了最早的薄荷糖，即把乳香、没药和肉桂混合，再兑入蜂蜜煮沸而制成的丸状物。

3.保龄球

纳姆西奥斯村落位于开罗以南56英里（90公里）处，其历史可追溯至公元2～3世纪的罗马统治时期。考古学家在此发现了一个房间，里面有一组球道和许多大小不一的球。球道约长13英尺（3.9米），宽7.9英寸（20厘米），深3.8英寸（9.6厘米），中部还有一个4.7英寸（11.9厘米）的方形开口。

在现代保龄球中，玩家需尽力击倒摆放在球道尽头的球瓶，与之不同，古埃及保龄球玩家的目标则是位于球道中间的那个孔洞——选手需站在球道两头，奋力将大小不一的球滚入中间的孔洞中，并在此过程中将对手的球撞出球道。

4.门锁

晚上锁门并推上插销时，不妨对发明门锁的古埃及人说句感谢的祝福语吧。最早的这类装置约出现于公元前4000年，大致说来，就是将门上掏出的一个闩孔接上销子之后插入钥匙即可实现开合的一套锁具。

这类古代门锁的一大缺点就在于它们的个头。最大的锁长达两英尺（0.6米）。古埃及人的锁实际上比罗马人后来发明的锁要更加牢靠。罗马人的锁设计得更为简单，它们使用弹簧而不是门闩来锁门，而且锁隐藏在门内，比埃及人发明的锁更容易撬开。

5.牙膏

正如我们前面所提到的那样，古埃及人有很多牙齿问题。尽管没有牙医，他们还是想出了一些办法来保持牙齿清洁。考古学家在木乃伊的陪葬品中发现了牙签，这显然是有人放在那里供死者在来生清理齿缝中的食物残渣之用。和巴比伦人一样，古埃及人也被认为是最早发明牙刷的人，而那牙刷其实是已经磨损得不像样的小树枝的末端。

非但如此，古埃及人还为口腔卫生方面贡献了一大创举——他们发明了牙膏。早期牙膏的成分包括牛蹄粉、灰烬、焦蛋壳和浮石，它们或许促成了一次不那么清爽的晨间牙齿保健仪式。考古学家最近发现了一张公元4世纪罗马统治时期的纸莎草纸，上面记载着一份似乎更为高级的牙膏配方及刷牙方法说明。虽然作者是谁不得而知，但他讲解了应如何将定量的岩盐、薄荷、干鸢尾花和胡椒粒混合起来，从而制成一种“美白且保健牙齿的粉末”。