The economist has an interesting article about what they call the first computer in history. It's truly amazing how much technology was out there in Ancient History. Nick Thorpe wrote a couple of great books about this (look at my links list). One of my favorites is the ancient batteries. Another is looking at seals from the Ancient Near East. Spend some time at the Morgan Library in Midtown NYC or the Met to see some examples. The early writing at the Met is particularly amazing.