I can only think Stirrup ... very simple, revolutinised (spl?) warfare (and thus the history of mankind) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirrup
/plz list yours

Invention that came suprisingly late

When I saw the title, I immediately knew what invention it refered to.

I guess it was just about random circuimstances why stirrups appeared so late in history.

the only other thing i can think of is the submarine, it took a while for its potential to be realised.

how about the heavy plow? I mean, it took them HOW long to figure out that a heavier plow digs deeper?

how about the heavy plow? I mean, it took them HOW long to figure out that a heavier plow digs deeper?
That's not the only agricultural invention from the middle ages that came surprisingly late. The horse collar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_collar) is another*; the idea that if the horse doesn't strangle itself while pulling something could be more effective should be quite obvious.

*At least from a European point of view, apparently the Chinese invented it around 400 BC.

well they used to use oxen, which are much slower, too

Well, as I understand it they used oxen because they didn't get enough pull out of their horses, there's a bit on that in the wiki page I linked.

right, it also said that the oxen didnt have a problem with the old harness, because theyre built differently. thats why they used them before, and hence the switch to the horse

My favorite: There's no solid evidence of knitting before the late middle ages. Crocheting and tatting were apparently invented in the 19th century.

the only other thing i can think of is the submarine, it took a while for its potential to be realised.The potential was recognized earlier than you might think. The first submarine attack was by the Turtle on HMS Eagle on the night of 6 September 1776 in Long Island Sound. The first successful submarine attack was the sinking of USS Housatonic by CSS Hunley on 17 February 1864 in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. Hunley was sunk at the same time.

It wasn't until 1901 that John Holland made the first practical naval submarine.

I believe that we had actually put a man into orbit before we invented the spork.

For some odd reason, I was thinking of the Spork too.

Eyeglasses

The potential was recognized earlier than you might think. The first submarine attack was by the Turtle on HMS Eagle on the night of 6 September 1776 in Long Island Sound. The first successful submarine attack was the sinking of USS Housatonic by CSS Hunley on 17 February 1864 in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. Hunley was sunk at the same time.

True but from what I read this was never really expanded upon by the Navies at the time, and rather it was left to enthusiasts of the idea to propel it forward.

And your point is?

There wasn't a U.S. Navy when Turtle was built, so it would have been hard for Turtle to be built by the navy.

Hunley was developed and built by private individuals. Considering that she sank three times (out of all three crews, there were three survivors), she could hardly be called anything but an iron coffin. If you were the Secretary of the Confederate Navy, would you be interested in putting your scarce funds into a ship that killed more of your people than caused enemy casualties?

John Holland came to the United States from Ireland in 1873. In 1875 his first submarine designs were submitted for consideration by the U.S. Navy, but turned down as unworkable. Holland continued to improve his designs and worked on several experimental boats, including a farcical experience with the U.S. Navy, prior to his successful efforts with a privately built type, launched in 1898. This was the first submarine having power to run submerged for any considerable distance, and the first to combine electric motors (for dived use) and gasoline engines (for surfaced). She was purchased by the Navy after rigorous tests and commissioned 12 October 1900 as USS Holland. This basic design was also adopted by the Royal Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy for their first submarines. So when submarines became practical, navies became interested in them.

Steam Engine. There was an Imperial Roman scientist that basically designed one (I want to say his name was Hero, but not entirely sure), but nothing came out of it.

So when submarines became practical, navies became interested in them.

Fair enough. :p

Eyeglasses

Why is this surprisingly late? To make glasses you need not only an understanding of optics and how the eye works, but good glassmaking and grinding skills. Glasses were invented in the Middle Ages, which doesn't seem so late to me, as I don't believe they'd have had the technology in antiquity. In fact, if memory serves, they were invented by Roger Bacon (along with aeroplanes, washing machines, three-pin plugs or whatever else it was he dreamed up...).

Surprising because the lens is as useful as it is simple. It is not difficult to imagine the boy Moses burning ants with an odd bit of rock-crystal.

The Apollo Program. I built it in the early 1800s, how come it took those idiots at NASA so long? :mischief: ;)

The Romans made a concrete from quicklime, ash and an aggregate made from pumice very similar to modern portland cement concrete. The receipe for this Roman concrete was lost around 500 AD. In 1756, an English engineer named John Smeaton invented portland cement and used it with water and an aggregate of crushed stone to make concrete.

Greek Fire..I don't think we know how they made it even now...

the only other thing i can think of is the submarine, it took a while for its potential to be realised.

Ahem Korean Turtle ships which killed off the Japanese fleet...1390's or some such time period I believe. Its also said the Japanese had one before that not entierly sure...

Steam Engine. There was an Imperial Roman scientist that basically designed one (I want to say his name was Hero, but not entirely sure), but nothing came out of it.

That was the first thing that came to my mind as well.

The Apollo Program. I built it in the early 1800s, how come it took those idiots at NASA so long?

Cute :lol:

Ahem Korean Turtle ships which killed off the Japanese fleet...1390's or some such time period I believe. Its also said the Japanese had one before that not entierly sure...

Any link Silver? or shall i just check Wikapedia? (I actually doubt they'll have it however :/)

The turtle ships weren't submarines, they were ironclads. Exactly how ironclad is somewhat disputed, since they were fast enough to ram. The Koreans used them to defeat the Japanese invasion in the 16th century. They had a sort of dragon's head front that the Koreans used to spray some kind of noxious substance. I don't know that the Japanese ever used them.

They were fairly low in the water though, all that could be seen was the "turtule back" which was studded wit retractbale spikes to rip open wooden hulls and prevent boarding. To a certain extent they were the earliest submarines.

Since they couldn't submerge, they weren't submarines.

Since they were loaded with cannon, submersion would probably have been permanent. Apparently the Koreans stopped using them sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. It's possible that the iron cladding only covered the deck. And there is indeed a long article on it on Wikipedia, and they're mentioned in all accounts of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's invasion of Korea.