In true, self-indulgent form we love to think that, right now, we're the best that the human race has ever been. We're living in the silicone age and we all have iPhones, so obviously that makes us super smart. Surely everyone in the olden days was thick as two short planks, right? They didnt have the internet, or a space programme, or microwave lasagne or anything - what a bunch of savages. Well, sorry to burst any bubbles, but the human race is beginning to understand that the Dark Ages may not have been so dark after all, and those old-timey inventors were actually living it up surrounded by top of the range technology that would make your telly look like a tamagotchi. Forget what you know about ancient man, sitting in damp caves and occasionally clubbing a passer by with a mammoth bone, we humans have always been an innovative bunch, resulting in some pretty mind-bendingly clever inventions along the way. Sure, we've managed to invent supercomputers and Pot Noodles, but, as always, the inventors of today are simply standing on the shoulders of giants. With everything from Viking sat nav to pre-historic batteries to actual, working computers (no, really), it looks like we could learn a few things from our ancient predecessors...
