Actually, the Romans might not have invented quite as many things as we sometimes think.
They didn't invent drainage and sewers, for instance, but they did develop the idea.
They didn't invent the alphabet, but theirs is the one we use today.
And they didn't invent roads.
They just tended to build very straight ones so they could move their armies from one place to another as quickly and efficiently as possible.
But we are pretty sure that they invented underfloor heating, which is a good job too if you're coming up to Scotland.Actually, it's a little bit hot now.
Could you turn it down? Great.
What else? Ah, yes.
The calendar, as we know it today, is another major reason to be grateful to the Romans.
As if that wasn't enough, they also came up with the idea for concrete and for arches, which means that they were able to build special bridges for carrying water called aqueducts.
Right, sorry about that. Shall we?
So, self-cleaning teeth, eh? I'm in.
Video summary
This short, humorous video gives a brief introduction to Roman inventions and engineering. It explores how they did not invent drainage, sewers, the alphabet or roads, but they did develop them.
They did invent underfloor heating, concrete and the calendar that our modern calendar is based on.
Concrete played an important part in Roman building, helping them construct structures like aqueducts that included arches.
This clip comes from the 大象传媒 Series, See You See Me, Romans in Scotland 2.
Teacher Notes
- Pupils could investigate how the various developments made by the Romans are still used today.
- Pupils could find examples of modern arches to draw, and then try building their own arches using construction toys.
- They could test these arches by observing how much weight they can place on top before the arch collapses.
This short film is relevant for teaching History at KS2 in England and Wales, KS2 in Northern Ireland and second level in Scotland.
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