Michael Bradley, Ancient Innovations

  • 99,999 BCE

    Wood Fire

    First seen over 600,000 years ago in fossils, humans have been cooking over fire for many, many years. It is simply burning wood, though the heat is more than enough to cook most types of foods. This is the basis of all things used to cook nowadays and is still used frequently!
  • 69,000 BCE

    Bow and Arrow

    The bow and arrow is a weapon used to take out both people and animals. It shoots out a sharp shard of rock that pierces skin easily. Arrowheads have been found in caves in Africa from over 60,000 years ago. The bow and arrow is continuously updated throughout time and is a great model of today's weapons using springs, similar to guns today.
  • 25,000 BCE

    Fish Hook

    A hook used on a fishing rod to hook fish and pull them in. Found in Sakitari Cave on Okinawa island, they were made of shells. They have kept their general shape since their conception, with changed slightly to their shape and their material.
  • 12,000 BCE

    Drying Foods

    A format of keeping food from aging, different types of meats were kept under the blazing sun til they dried. Middle eastern and oriental cultures did it first also by using the heat from fires.
  • 8300 BCE

    Fishing Net

    A large net folded together using willow, this net is used to catch fish by throwing them out into the water. The first traces were found in a small town in Finland. The design of the fishing net hasn't really changed; it has merely changed materials.
  • 7000 BCE

    Fermentation

    First discovered to be done in China, fermentation is a way of turning beverages alcoholic. It was found from chemical analysis of ancient organics.
  • 3000 BCE

    Salting of Meats

    Often linked similarly to mummification, people have been putting things in salt to preserve them for many a thousand of years. For example, meats cooked in salt during ancient Mesopotamian times. They know this happened due to the analyzing of ancient organisms too.
  • 2600 BCE

    Clay Ovens

    Clay ovens, obviously made of clay, were great for cooking because they can withstand high heat and retain it extremely well. Found in ancient Egypt, they were crafter from clay found along the bank of the Nile river.