Page 170 - A Historical Lie: The Stone Age

A discovery made by the archaeologist Sir John Layard
in 1850 raised the question of who actually used the first lens?
During a series of excavations in what is now Iraq, Layard discov-
ered a piece of a lens dating back 3,000 years. Currently on display in
the British Museum, this fragment shows that the first known lens
was used in the days of the Assyrians. Professor Giovanni Pettinato
of the University of Rome believes that this rock-crystal lens—
which, according to him, is a major discovery shedding considerable
light on the history of sci-
ence—could also explain why
the ancient Assyrians knew so

A lens-like fragment dating back some
3,000 years has been described as an
important discovery that "could
rewrite the history of science." That
history shows that humankind has
possessed the same mind, abilities
and tastes from the moment he came
into being.

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