Three old paintings in which smartphones came from somewhere. Three old paintings in which smartphones came from somewhere Umberto Romano Mr. Pynchon and the Springfield settlement

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Archeology is one of the most important sciences that sheds light on our past. But what if our past is not exactly what we imagine it to be?

website I have collected unexpected finds for you that greatly surprised historians.

1. Central heating in the palace among the Minoans 2700–1400. BC e.

An unexpected discovery was made in Knossos, in the ruins of a palace. The ancient Minoans heated the castle using cylindrical structures with semicircular roofs, which were placed under the floor and heated by fire, as a result of which the heat spread throughout the palace.

2. Vending machine from 100 BC e.

Surprisingly, modern vending machines had a very respectable ancestor who sold holy water in ancient temples. It was invented by Heron of Alexandria, the author of many amazing inventions. The machine itself worked like this: people threw a coin, it pushed a lever, which, in turn, opened a valve, allowing a small portion of holy water to flow out. Unfortunately, such a brilliant idea was forgotten and vending machines reinvented at the end of the nineteenth century.

3. Venetian vampire - an artifact of the 16th century

An unusual artifact was found in Lazzaretto Nuovo, located in the Venetian Lagoon, in 2006-2007. During excavations of burials, a skull with a brick in the jaw was discovered. This is exactly how, judging by written sources of those times, vampires were buried (a brick in the mouth should neutralize it). Further studies of the skull showed that it belonged to a 60-70-year-old woman (and this is a very respectable age for those times), a European and a peasant woman, that is, she did not stand out in any way, except for age, from ordinary residents. So why was she considered a vampire? Science does not provide an exact answer to this question.

4. An ancient Viking settlement in North America before its discovery by Columbus. Late 11th century

L'Anse aux Meadows is an ancient Viking settlement built 500 years before Columbus discovered North America. From 1961 to 1968, Helge Ingstad and Anne Stine Ingstad conducted a series of archaeological excavations and determined that the site was of Norwegian origin. This discovery forces us to reconsider established geographical hypotheses. The question of where the Vikings came from in North America remains open.

5. Automatic doors in Ancient Greece. Second half of the 1st century AD e.

The same brilliant Heron of Alexandria invented automatic doors long before the turbulent 20th century. One can imagine how amazed the ancient people were when they saw such a miracle in their temples (and it was in them that such doors stood). The mechanism was set in motion by the air heated on the altar, and then, as they say, it was a matter of technique.

6. Controversial mural "Mr. Pynchon and the Springfield Settlement" of 1937

"Mr. Pynchon and the Springfield Settlement" is a 1937 fresco by Italian artist Umberto Romano, in which something similar to a smartphone was found. If you look closely at the Indian on the right, he appears to be typing a message on his phone. What it really is, no one knows. Although various theories have been put forward.

7. The first vertical shower from Ancient Greece. Beginning of the 2nd century BC e.

Leonardo da Vinci was a brilliant inventor, and no one was surprised to discover in the 1950s a drawing of a robot, most likely intended for military action. It is not known whether the scientist realized his plan, but the robot itself looks very plausible and could imitate simple human movements.

9. Ancient chemical weapons in 256 AD. e.

During excavations in the Syrian city of Dura-Europos at the beginning of the 20th century, scientists discovered the remains of 19 Roman centurions and one Persian warrior in a tunnel. Initially it was believed that they died in a collapse, but further research revealed the amazing truth. The soldiers suffocated from a gas mixture of burning sulfur and tar. Before this incident, archaeologists had not yet found evidence of the use of chemical weapons.

Dudaleva Maria

2 years ago

Photo: Painting by Umberto Romano

The mural "Mr. Pynchon and the Settlement of Springfield" is preserved at the Massachusetts Commonwealth State House

In a 1937 painting by Italian artist Umberto Romano, Internet users spotted an Indian holding an iPhone. The painting is called "Mr. Pynchon and the Settlement of Springfield." It depicts the British merchant-colonial William Pynchon, who, according to legend, founded the city of Sprigfield.

A user named Michael Todd Myers posted on his page in social network Facebook picture with the question “Is this guy tweeting?” Other users are already putting forward their hypotheses. For example, that the tied up man is a time traveler whose smartphone was taken by the Indians.

The British newspaper The Daily Mail gives one of the most reasonable assumptions: the Indian is holding not a smartphone, but a mirror. Back then, pocket mirrors were a fashionable and rare accessory. A similar subject could be of interest to a native inhabitant of the American continent.

The mural "Mr. Pynchon and the Settlement of Springfield" is kept in the State House of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States.

Recently, in the 1937 painting “Mr. Pynchon and the Settlement of Springfield,” an object that looked suspiciously like a smartphone was noticed, and someone even believed in time travel. BigPicha suggested what kind of thing this actually was, and remembered two more paintings where “gadgets” can be seen.

The painting by Italian artist Umberto Romano depicts a scene from the 17th century - another 400 years before the invention of smartphones. The main character of the canvas is the Englishman William Pynchon, a successful fur trader and founder of the Springfield settlement. He is surrounded by Indians, one of whom is holding a mysterious object in the same way we now hold smartphones.

Fragment of the painting “Mr. Pynchon and the Settlement of Springfield”

Umberto Romano died in 1982 and during his lifetime did not comment on the figure of the Indian, so it is unclear what exactly he is holding in his hands. Dr. Margaret Bruchak from the University of Pennsylvania believes that it is an iron plate or a wide blade.

Historian Daniel Crone, in an essay about William Pynchon, suggested that the mysterious object could be a hand mirror: they were invented and became popular in the 17th century, and for Native Americans they became a symbol of wealth and prestige. In addition, it can be assumed that the Indian is holding a prayer book.

The work of Umberto Romano is not the first old painting in which our contemporaries have spotted a smartphone. In 2016, Apple CEO Tim Cook found an iPhone in a painting by Dutch artist Pieter de Hooch. “It was hard to see, but I swear it’s there,” Cook joked.

Pieter de Hooch, "A Man Handing a Letter to a Woman in the Hallway", 1670

Another painting by Pieter de Hooch - “A Young Woman Receives a Letter” - makes us finally believe that the artist knew more about future inventions than he should have in the 17th century.