Ancient creative technologies

Some of the dominant definitions of innovation imply that profit is the main criterion to define success. A more inclusive view would suggest that radical changes are sometimes triggered by other factors, such as curiosity and a "why not?" approach to technology.

Here is a view to inspiring examples from ancient and medieval times of creative applications of technology:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19526111.600-the-programmable-robot-of-ancient-greece.html?full=true

It is true that war and trade are two of the main drivers of technology, but let's not forget about exploratory & insightful search.