loading…
Yakhchal technology proves ancient people were smarter than people think today. (Photo: Ancient Origins)
JAKARTA – Who would have thought that thousands of years ago there would have been ice making machines. What’s unique is that this technology is embedded in a device in the middle of the desert.
This sophisticated machine without electricity is called Yakhchal which has existed since 2,400 years ago in the Persian desert, currently Iran.
Reporting from Ancient Origins, Thursday (23/11/2023), this technology proves that ancient people were smarter than people think today. Yakhchal, which means ice hole, shows humans’ ability to find solutions to problems with whatever materials or technology they have.
How Yakhchal Works?
Yakhchal was created by Persian engineers around 400 BC. What’s more interesting is that Yakhchal is relatively easy to make so poor people can have it. Most yakhchals are dome-shaped structures with box-shaped storage areas underground.
Once the storage area was dug and the dome erected, a type of mortar made from clay, sand, ash, goat hair, and lime called sarooj was used to make it waterproof. The required water collection area must be deep enough to remain cool and the material of the yakhchal must be sufficient insulating material to block heat.
Water was brought to the yakhchal either by directly transporting ice from nearby mountains or diverting water from the aqueduct to the yakhchal using underground water channels called qanats.
Next to some yakhchals, a wall oriented from east to west will be built on the south side of the refrigerator and water will be brought into the yakhchal from the north side of the wall. The reason is to keep the water cool at midday when it enters the yakhchal.
Another device used to keep the yakhchal cool is the badgir, a type of wind-catching mechanism that will catch wind and channel it down into the yakhchal. As the air descends, it is cooled by the ice as well as the cold air that accompanies the water in the qanat. Alternatively, badgir can be used to cause warm air to rise and cool air to replace it. This mechanism is still used in many desert cities in modern Iran.
Once inside the yakhchal, the water will freeze overnight. This process can be accelerated by the presence of ice, transported from the mountains, which is already present in the yakhchal to act as a seed. Once the water freezes, it is cut into blocks so that the water can be easily taken out of the yakhchal for drinking and other purposes.
Apart from storing drinking water, yakhchal is also used to keep foods such as fruit, dairy products, and perhaps meat cool so they last longer. Many Yakhchals in Iran, Afghanistan, and other parts of West and Central Asia still stand even after thousands of years. They represent the remnants of ancient Persian glory and are part of Iran’s cultural heritage.
Heritage of the Ancient Ice House
As well as being historically interesting, yakhchal has also been proposed as a cheap and sustainable way for modern Iranians and other Central Asian communities to have a cooling system without using electricity. Theoretically, the process used to make yakhchal could also be replicated and used in other regions with climates similar to the desert areas of Iran and Central Asia, such as the Southwestern United States or parts of northwestern China.
In this way, the revival of ancient technologies can help modern people around the world live more sustainably and still have modern comforts, especially cooling.
Modern Westerners tend to assume that conveniences such as cooling require advanced technology such as electricity and the ability to produce powerful refrigerants, but it turns out that cooling can be produced using very simple methods.
(msf)