With the development of science and technology and the progress of society, human beings have gradually moved from ignorance to civilization. Therefore, we usually think that science and technology in modern society must be more advanced than in ancient times. From the very beginning, our observation of the sky consists only in the initial stage of observing the sky with the eye. Now we can use radio telescopes to observe the sound of the universe. Besides, in ancient times, people did not have the support of scientific and technological means or the ability to predict natural disasters, so they could only hope for the blessing of God. At the present, we have got rid of that sense of helplessness and we can rely on technology to predict things like the weather and earthquakes. We can also think of the substitution of machines for human labor, the invention of telephones and computers, and so on. All of these vivid examples illustrate that modern technology and knowledge are beyond the imagination and achievement of ancient people. Under this circumstance, is it really as absolute as we think that modern technology must be more advanced than ancient technology in all aspects? My answer is no. In modern society, there are some ancient skills and techniques that modern people cannot reproduce. As a result, they have now become the unique products of the world such as the lacquered yarn of the Forbidden City in China, the blue color of the Mayan culture, and so on.
![Lacquer Gauze in Meridian Gate exhibition [Photo by Yucong Li]](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/format:webp/1*qwZcFDG8IV-FyEwnwjGnTw.jpeg)
In the 600-year-old Meridian Gate exhibition of the Palace Museum of China(The Forbidden City )a very exquisite lacquered gauze is on display for the first time. It comes from the Imperial Palace in the Qianlong emperor to live in retirement after the construction of Ningshou Palace Fu Wangge. Since this was the place where Emperor Qianlong live in retirement after his abdication, its decoration and construction can be said to represent the peak level of Qianlong’s craftsmanship. Moreover, the six layers of gilded lacquer gauze with this complicated craft is the lattice heart of the windows of Fu Wang Pavilion (“An”,2020). What makes it special is that it is interwoven with six layers of different fabrics facing outwards and inwards. Each of its six layers is made up of a different skill. They are composed of six layers: core layer, pattern layer, gilding layer, the bottom layer, dye layer, and hook layer. And then the ancient craftsmen had to fit them perfectly on top of each other. The 12-layer double-sided embroidery is just as thick as a sheet of A4 paper. This lacquer gauze was made in 1773, which is 200 years ago (“An”, 2020). However, with the current scientific and technological means, there is still no way to thoroughly understand this process and copy an identical one. In the article “A lasting legacy of ancient wisdom”, the author Shuang Feng(2020) mentioned that “the silk work mixes the functions of paper-cutting, bronzing, dyeing and painting, so it needs the cooperation of many skilled craftsmen to make it.” Although we have a high level of manufacturing today, we still cannot replicate it. “This kind of lost technology is a bit like cultural heritage”(Feng, 2020). With the current advanced technology, we can not replicate the technology of more than 200 years ago, so I do not think modern technology can solve all the problems.
Another really amazing technology is the Mayan blue paint, which lasted for thousands of years. The Mayan culture appeared around 4,300 years ago in Mexico (Maldonado, 2018). With the demise of books on Mayan culture, the civilization of this era and country has left behind many unsolved historical mysteries, such as the Mayan Pyramid and the Zojin Calendar. At the same time, the formation of Mayan blue in Mexican Mayan paintings also disappeared. This blue is a bright blue pigment. “What is amazing about it is that it is so stable that it does not fade over thousands of years. Besides, Maya blue is resistant to acid and base heat” (Fenster, 2017). This kind of technology is hard to do in today’s society. This is why modern humans are curious. More than 4,000 years ago, most of the materials we made were made from natural minerals. Including in ancient Chinese paintings, people also used mineral materials such as stone cyan, which is the color extracted from azurite. In the same vein, it is easy to wonder if Mayan blue was made using similar scientific techniques. According to Modern Technology, “scientists had used broad-spectrum techniques in the 1960s to show that indigo (a vegetable dye) and palygorskite (an unusual aluminum magnesium silicate clay) were two important components” (Fenster, 2017). “The combination of the two pigments produces a compound that is very resistant to the environment and chemicals”(“Origins”, 2009). Subsequent microscopic analysis revealed the presence of cocoa butter, a natural resin, in addition to indigo and palygorskite (Fenster, 2017). Although today’s human beings are using the science and technology they have mastered to continuously explore the materials they make, we still need further research on the mode of production and other aspects (Fenster, 2017). This example shows that modern technology is not necessarily more powerful than ancient technology. More than 4,000 years ago, the Mayans developed colors that will last for millennia, and today’s humans are still exploring the technology of their time.
From the above description, many people may ask that with the development of science and technology, one day we will find out the making methods of ancient technologies and master them successfully. Therefore, it is only a matter of time that does not mean that ancient technologies are more advanced than some modern ones. However, I think the ancient exquisite skills came from the wisdom and creativity of the ancestors for life. Technology can be studied out, learned, and even surpassed, but in ancient times these thoughts and technologies with unique cultures need us to explore and learn. I think today we have a very specialized science and technology. For example, we can use microscopes and spectra to explore the production methods of ancient crafts and have invented many new crafts that ancient people could not make. But we cannot deny the wisdom and unique creative thinking of our ancient ancestors. They use the technology and materials they have to make more advanced technology than modern people have high-tech. Their intelligence and creativity are testaments to their skills. Perhaps in the near future, we can use more advanced technology to solve the mysteries that have lain dormant for many years and use technology to restore and protect the footprints of these cultures. However, compared with the culture and technology of countries hundreds or even thousands of years ago, we are still trying to learn and discover the advanced technology and culture they have. This is the meaning of our modern study of archaeology and history. This is of epochal significance to the understanding and judgment of the development of human civilization.
To sum up, we use lacquer gauze in the Imperial Palace of China and blue pigment in Mayan culture as two examples to illustrate that there are things that ancient society can do but modern society cannot do according to the technology of modern society. Besides, we feel the ancient people’s exquisite handicraft and production skills as well as astonishing creativity. We expect that in the future we will be able to recreate these meaningful legacies with more advanced technologies. Besides, in the process of studying them, we should keep learning the advanced and creative ideas and cultures of the ancients. Such communication across time is conducive to the progress and development of human civilization.
Reference
An exhibition of lacquered gauze from the 600-year-old Ningshou Palace in the Forbidden City is on display for the first time. (2020). Retrieved 2021, from https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1677860339623505486&wfr=spider&for=pc
Origins Of Maya Blue In Mexico. (2009, April 23). Retrieved 2020, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090420085049.htm
Maldonado, D. V. (2018, August 17). The rare blue the Maya invented. Retrieved 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180816-the-rare-blue-the-mayans-invented
Feng, S. (2020). A lasting legacy of ancient wisdom. Retrieved 2020, from http://www.ecns.cn/m/news/culture/2020-09-24/detail-ihaaeqyp8472525.shtml
Fenster, A. (2017, March 20). The Mystery of Maya Blue Finally Solved. Retrieved 2020, from https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/science-science-everywhere/mystery-maya-blue-finally-solved
This archaeological site is usually surrounded by tourists and vendors. I was lucky enough to get a photo of El Castillo without anyone walking by. [Personal photograph taken in Yucatan, Mexico]. (n.d.).
