Sushruta's Surgical Instruments
600 BCE
The Sushruta Samhita, written around 600 BCE, describes 120 surgical instruments and 300 surgical procedures including rhinoplasty (nose reconstruction), cataract surgery, and cesarean section. Sushruta's technique for rhinoplasty using a cheek flap is essentially identical to modern reconstructive surgery and was 'rediscovered' by European surgeons in the 18th century.
The Vimana Aircraft of Ancient India
1500–500 BCE (texts)
Ancient Indian texts including the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and the Vaimanika Shastra describe flying vehicles called vimanas in remarkable technical detail — including mercury vortex engines, multi-deck designs, and weapons capable of destroying entire cities. The Vaimanika Shastra, claimed to be channelled from an ancient sage, was written down in 1904–1923 and describes 97 types of aircraft.