What is the Nimrud lens?
The Nimrud lens is a piece of rock crystal discovered in 1850 by the British archaeologist Austen Henry Layard in the palace ruins of Nimrud (in today’s northern Iraq), a capital of the ancient Assyrian Empire. It is dated to around the 8th century BC and is now held at the British Museum in London.
Is it really a lens?
It is an oval a few centimeters across, ground flat on one side and slightly convex on the other. It therefore works like a convex lens, able to focus light or magnify objects several times.
Theories say it was a magnifying glass for ancient craftsmen doing fine carving, or a tool for starting fires. An Italian researcher also argued that the Assyrians may have used it like a telescope to observe the stars, since astronomy was highly developed in ancient Mesopotamia.
Part of an ornament?
On the other hand, many researchers think that since its surface is not ground very precisely, it may simply be part of an ornament inlaid in furniture or the like, and was not necessarily used as a magnifier. Either way, it is certain that ancient people could work rock crystal to this degree. Famous OOPArts are listed on the OOPArts page.
