In several games and movies there’s thousand year old machinery like traps or giant waterfalls. Is there any truth to this stuff? | AskHistorians Archive Observer

In several games and movies there’s thousand year old machinery like traps or giant waterfalls. Is there any truth to this stuff?

by GoldLeaderLiam

I’m playing through uncharted but I started thinking of Indiana Jones and goonies, is there any truth to civilizations being able to make traps like the India jones boulder or doors that close on a timer?

scarlet_sage

More can be written, but you might like to start with

Were the tombs of South American civilizations the booby-trapped nightmare we see in entertainment? by [deleted]
Many fantasy/historical computer games and RPGs feature "dungeons", ie a large labyrinthian set of tunnels, rooms, traps etc. Is there any historical basis for dungeons? by /u/daeres (though this is older, before current standards, so it's "fluffier")

This is out of the Science / History of Engineering / Monuments section of the FAQ.

This is not to discourage discussion. More questions, data and debate are welcome.