25 Most Significant Inventions In Human History

For a very long time, early humans made use of what was immediately around them: wood, leather, bone, and later, stone. These natural resources could be collected with relative ease, didn't require that much sophistication, and did their job well as weapons and armor for early civilizations.

Then, in the Bronze Age, some of the earliest civilizations started using different materials like copper, silver, gold and other precious metals. Not only did these new minerals become symbols of wealth and status, but they revolutionized life in general. From regular everyday items to weapons and armor, once humans started crafting tools out of metal and iron, everything changed.

Everyday tools like hammers, scythes and nails could be used to greater effect than their stone or solely wooden counterparts. Fences and door frames made of iron were both stronger and easier to work with than stone doors or wooden frames. But most importantly, chainmail, plate armor and steel weapons were far better than wooden clubs and spears tipped with stone points. Armies were able to survive much more damage wearing such armor, and were able to likewise do more damage to their enemies with such weapons.

Considering how much steel and iron products are still produced and used today, thousands of years after metallurgy first started, it's safe to say that our ancestors discovered something critical all those ages ago.