Some people wonder what the world would have been if this or that event had not occurred. It is challenging to answer this question because the world’s history is a chain of mutually dependent phenomena and events. If any element is dismissed, it is impossible to imagine how this fact could impact all the other processes in history. That is why the question of what developments are the most significant is also a challenging one to answer. However, it is possible to propose some notable advancements or inventions based on how influential they were when they emerged and how essential they are today. During the Ancient World, paper, democratic government, and gunpowder were the most significant developments because they have affected the whole world up to now.
Firstly, it is necessary to mention that ancient Egyptians developed a technique of making paper from the papyrus plant in 3,000 BC. That invention resulted in the fact that people learned how to transform their words and thoughts into a physical form. The given option helped ancient people write down and preserve many concepts and beliefs. Consequently, the development of paper resulted in numerous improvements in the spheres of lawmaking, culture, and others. Simultaneously, it is impossible to overestimate the role that paper plays in the modern world. Scientific, cultural, research, legislation, social, and many other spheres of the contemporary world could not have existed without the paper. Currently, people use this sophisticated invention of ancient Egyptians to distribute their thoughts, govern organizations, rule nations, and so on.
Secondly, one cannot overestimate the importance of democracy and democratic government that emerged in Ancient Greece. The concept that literally means “rule by the people” was created by a ruler of Athens in 507 BC. It was the first time when a distinct division of power into legislative and judicial branches was made. With that, no one can claim that the ancient term denoted exactly the same that it means now. For Greeks, a democratic government was only open to males who were 18 years old and higher. This government did not last for long because the aristocracy replaced it in a few decades. However, it is impossible to state whether democracy would have been a dominant system in developed nations if Ancient Greeks had not developed this concept.
Thirdly, gunpowder should be included in the list of the most significant developments of the Ancient World. Necromancers from Ancient China accidentally found that heating a mixture of ores and fuel could produce an explosion. The new element was firstly applied in fireworks, but its later use in the military sphere dramatically impacted warfare across the globe. Thus, the invention of firearms resulted in the fact that people could participate in more murderous wars. Consequently, one can state that Ancient China was partly responsible for the deaths of millions of people during military conflicts and wars over the world’s history. That is why it is not a surprise that gunpowder is a significant element in the present time because it is used in rockets, grenades, guns, and other weapons that are applied for military purposes.
In conclusion, the world’s history is a chain of interconnected events, and each of them leads to many consequences. That is why it is challenging to predict how the world would have changed if some phenomena had not existed. However, it is still possible to identify those events that significantly impacted the whole globe, and that keep influencing modern society. Thus, these essential inventions are paper, democratic government, and gunpowder. These phenomena emerged in ancient times and in different countries, but they are similar in the way that their importance cannot be overestimated. It is impossible to imagine the modern world without paper, democracy, and gunpowder, even though the latter has brought many negative consequences. This information allows for concluding that the three are the most significant developments of the Ancient World.