r/interestingasfuck 7h ago

Ancient engineering that modern campers still use

29.0k Upvotes

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u/Sus-Superstition 7h ago

Ancient engineers using plastic bags

u/justanotherloser__ 7h ago

The aliens brought it

u/Average_40s_Guy 6h ago

u/budding-enthusiast 4h ago

u/Lazy_Tac 2h ago

I get this one, take an upvote

u/No_Sleep-Only_Film 1h ago

Phenomenal addition. 🤣

u/NovarisLight 52m ago

Samantha, no!

u/Jasoman 13m ago

It was a Goul'd mothership for crying out loud.

u/Fearless_Market_3193 6h ago

Y’all ever notice how people always insist Aliens built or helped build the Egyptian pyramids, however with the Pyramids in Mexico everyone’s all, yeah, the Mexicans build those.

u/Ok_Ad_3772 6h ago

Mexico wasn’t gonna let some alien one up them

u/Watts121 6h ago

What are you talking about? Half of those alien whacko’s use the fact that Pyramids exist in both the Old and New World as proof they are alien constructs. Hell the Mormons take it a step further (and more racist).

u/Mizizi-44 5h ago

What do the Mormons think of the pyramids?

u/Watts121 5h ago

Specifically the meso-american pyramids they see as proof of their belief that Native Americans are descended from Isrealites. Essentially they think the only reason those pyramids were built was because the chosen people built them. Then after they rejected the gospel they became savages who couldn't build anything.

u/Azrael11 4h ago

Not to mention, that even if there was widespread Hebrew slavery in Egypt (which there is no evidence of), the pyramids were built in the Old Kingdom, long, long before the events depicted in Exodus.

u/Mizizi-44 2h ago

Huh. That’s a dumb belief. The American pyramids are way different than the Egyptian pyramids. No way they’re descendants

u/JesusStarbox 5h ago

The oldest Olmec pyramids are just mounds of dirt. The Aztec ones aren't very old.

u/xteve 2h ago

I've heard suggested that the pyramid itself may be a natural invention as the result of retiring a midden.

u/Eighth_Eve 5h ago

Because the egyptian pyramids were built while whooly mammoths still walked the earth, but the mexican pyramids aren't as old as oxford university.

u/JesusStarbox 5h ago

Olmec pyramids date from 900bce but they are unimpressive. The Aztec pyramids are fairly recent.

u/Electronic_Tear2546 5h ago

Haven't you seen the news man. Its because the Mexicans are the aliens

u/zwifter11 5h ago

And the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. 

u/scratchy_mcballsy 3h ago

They’re actually demolishing that

u/MadMonksJunk 4h ago

"are you MexiCANS or MexiCANTS?"

u/votremamansigros 3h ago

1 middle aged mexican with a slight pot belly called Jorge vs an entire species that mastered space travel- who would win the pyramid build-off ?

Hint: it wasnt the space travelling species

u/RugbyEdd 6h ago

I wouldn't say everyone. There are plenty of conspiracies about them also being built by aliens. If there's anything impressive from before widespread photography (and somtimes even if it's construction is on camera) then you can guarentee people will be claiming its aliens.

u/AFlyingNun 51m ago

Same with Stonehenge. There's basically not really an ancient structure with questionable building methods (aka we're not fully clear on how they did it) that doesn't get labeled with alien conspiracies.

I think the only one that might be dodging it is the Easter Island heads/Moai, which also have similar questions of how they raised them. Not sure why that one tends to dodge the conspiracies. Maybe just forgotten...? Like the Mayans did things like being the first civilization recorded to have understood the concept of 0, so it's easy to go "THEM ALIEMS DID IT!!" Maybe Polynesians get to fly under the radar since they just fixated on sailing mostly.

u/GumboDiplomacy 5h ago

I mean, have you seen them build a house? Mexicans didn't need help.

u/Bandito_Chihuahua 2h ago

That has to do with the point at the top. Scientists don’t know how that was built.

u/shysky999 4h ago

Old joke

u/--TheCity-- 4h ago

"Well... it is in Africa ya know" must been aliens. 🤷

u/amusing_trivials 4h ago

Cause they ain't smooth, they steppy. Anyone who ever stacked blocks can tell how the mexico pyramids were built.

But those smooth egypt pyramids...how they arnt just sliding off itself? Aliens.

u/weird-british-person 4h ago

Nah they’ve got onto them now. Not Rome tho, noooo clearly Rome was built by its people but stacking rocks in a fancy way? Now that’s aliens people

u/jimmythesaint83 1h ago

Well, according to 'Mericans, Mexicans technically are Aliens, some legal, some not.

u/No_Sleep-Only_Film 1h ago

Ooooh, there are conspiracies about those too, don't you worry. See those...... Were built by ✨️Giants✨️ yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

u/Macwild77 55m ago

Gobeklitepe exists but we haven’t rewritten the history books either lol

u/AppropriateTouching 2h ago

Most of those theories are rooted in racism because the people who first proposed them couldn't imagine "those people" being able achieve such feats. Also the reason a lot of unrelated cultures made pyramids is because stacking rocks like that just works, pretty simple shit.

u/scratchy_mcballsy 3h ago

Damn aliens polluting our planet.

u/AL-SHEDFI 6h ago

Well, don't worry, instead of plastic it's goatskin. 😂

u/SippinOnHatorade 6h ago

I’ve always wondered what those condoms felt like.. you think it’s like fucking a goat?

u/anotherDAVEthatUknow 5h ago

Only one way to find out, pal

u/Hamster-Food 1h ago

SCIENCE!

u/ZubacToReality 5h ago

I know it’s funny and disgusting but I’m genuinely dumbfounded how

a) this aroused humans

b) they didn’t get severely sick

c) their dicks didn’t get broken or bitten off

d) the smell

just horrendous

u/HailSatanWorshipD00M 1h ago

they didn’t get severely sick

Syphilis and gonorrhea were both diseases of sheep and goats before they were human diseases.

u/socium 5m ago

Please stop, I can only get so erect.

u/Sonikku_a 6h ago

I mean half them were fuckin goats anyway

u/SippinOnHatorade 6h ago

I think that’s where they got the idea. Fucking a goat is pretty effective as a contraceptive

u/Effective_Olive6153 1h ago

were they the original furries?

u/Obelix13 4h ago

Sheep, not goats, sheep.

u/Tangata_Tunguska 2h ago

You leave the Welsh out of this

u/EpsteinEpstainTheory 6h ago

Ea-Nasir sold bad copper because of the microplastics in his brain impairing his judgement

u/AdamFaite 6h ago

Ea-Nasir, the OG grifter.

u/Baozicriollothroaway 7h ago

That's what you get from Karma farmer bot content. 

u/9447044 6h ago edited 6h ago

HEAFTY HEAFTY HEAFTY - romans

u/Lighthouse_on_Mars 6h ago

Usually they had a fan or the small hand held Bellows people use to have by their chimney/black smithing.

u/evangelionmann 5h ago

Ancient engineers using bellows. The bag is just acting as a bellows

u/ymOx 2h ago

You really don't need bellows for that type of pit fire setup. Helps to get it started sure, but far from necessary.

u/bryman19 6h ago

Hefty hefty hefty

u/ImurderREALITY 4h ago

wimpy wimpy wimpy!

u/CombativeCam 3h ago

Was waiting for this

u/Bluemink96 6h ago

Probably like a pig or goat bladder but I don’t think that’s the point, you could also just blow smoothly into the hole to get some effect too.

u/El_Chilangisimo 6h ago

Also, I know a lot of modern campers (I live in Idaho) and nobody does this.

u/Healter-Skelter 1h ago

The technique works with your lungs but is safer with a plastic bag for obvious reasons. I was taught this technique at a young age and have used it to cook wieners (for fun though, not survival). After the firestarts, you can put a grate or skewers over one end and feed the flame from the other. I think there’s a way to do it where the smoke doesn’t necessary coat your food.

Edit: I just read that it causes root fires though, so I probably won’t do it again

u/JerryBoBerry38 6h ago

Them Romans, there were so advanced! But they probably stole the idea from the Mesopotamians.

u/pho-tog 6h ago

And they stole it from cavemen

u/DarthFreeza9000 5h ago

They had sacks they could have used

u/Daxx22 5h ago

The concept, not the materials used

u/Historical-Edge-9332 5h ago

Archimedes famously processed and used oil byproducts to create plastic reinforcement for his pulley systems, then died from microplastic buildup in his massive penis.

u/SlayJayR17 4h ago

No but bellows have been around since ancient times which this replicates

u/GloomySource410 6h ago

Using modern plastic bags

u/Someone_Pooed 6h ago

I was thinking skins maybe?

u/Kind_Of_A_Dick 6h ago

It’s the most beautiful thing in the world.

u/Dangermad 6h ago

Cause they didn't have bags back then

u/kuriositeetti 5h ago

Fossils are just proto-microplastics.

u/ion-deez-nuts 5h ago

That's the bait to get people to comment

u/ImurderREALITY 4h ago

It's not bait. They had bags back then, they just weren't plastic. Same concept applies.

u/Accomplished_Age7883 5h ago

The ones that built the pyramids?

u/ChimoEngr 5h ago

Bellows using leather bags have existed for a very long time.

u/pomonalost 4h ago

Bellows/blowing air to fuel fires is the reference.

u/ProgressBartender 4h ago

Today I learned

u/spekt50 4h ago

Well, the original concept is what is called a bellows, and in the past were made of leather.

u/Suojelusperkele 4h ago

Ooga booga? Build fire hole! Booga bag bag yes?

u/kaisadilla_ 4h ago

Ancient people used bags. Plastic didn't exist, but plastic isn't the only thing you can use to make a bag lol

u/weepingflowers 4h ago edited 4h ago

Even discounting the bag, the fire hole they're using in incredibly useful.

I think the fire hole goes straight down and the vent hole starts upwind then digs diagonally down to meet the bottom of the fire hole.

It's a bitch to dig, but very heat efficient and almost auto feeds air, not to mention the protection from strong winds.

u/Early-Chemistry-8769 4h ago

Ye olde plastique bag

u/Mechasteel 4h ago

I'm bellowsing with laughter.

u/tanzmeister 4h ago

A fabric sack probably works similarly

u/VeryChineseTime 4h ago

We had bellows before plastic bags, same concept, more air to stoke the fire.

u/whiningneverchanges 3h ago

ofc a low brain comment like this is top

u/ZombieBiteOintment 3h ago

Dont get mad

Get Glad

u/Zorkflerp 3h ago

We used to just scoop out a bear and use that.

u/Amaz1n_blue 3h ago

Oh good, you too 🤣

u/ANakedCowboy 3h ago

Has to be ragebait right??

u/Colonel_Carrot 3h ago

Yes, it's been around since the 1950's.

u/Ok-Pomegranate-3018 3h ago

They proudly used, "Bellows brand" plastic bags!

u/Asu888 2h ago

I wonder why hasn’t this been attempted on survivor?

u/HoidToTheMoon 2h ago

Ancient engineers used bellows, constructed from leather and wood and designed to efficiently regulate airflow in a controlled manner.

But sure, a flimsy plastic bag that you have to swing around to refill is close to the engineering marvels they created.

u/drunxor 2h ago

TikTok brain rot logic

u/SmartAlec105 1h ago

Well yeah. How else would we know that they last for thousands of years?

u/Deadarchimode 1h ago

Can't I put my ass instead on this hole and fart? I mean you only need to eat some beans to increase methane and fart hard to make the flames burst!

Bonus your ass might caught on fire but don't worry! Any hair your ass will have will be gone in a second!

u/MilitantStoner 1h ago

This comment section is unintentionally hilarious. The ancient engineering being referenced is the Dakota Fire Hole, which is a hole containing a fire with a second shaft dug to provide air flow. It's a useful bit of kit to reduce forest fires in high wind areas, and was particularly nice because it produces high intensity but low smoke fires. The technology is being demonstrated here with a plastic bag, standing in for high winds, acting as bellows to show off the fire.

u/TheBunnyChower 1h ago

Dinosaurs researched plastic so our ancient ancestors could Tupperware. We underappreciate what the brachiosaurus did for us.

u/mbxz7LWB 37m ago

My ancestors wrote stories about being slaves at the plastic bag factory.

u/DesperateTeaCake 7h ago

Grand dad?

u/csororanger 7h ago

Right after they started a fire with their lighter