We owe some of our most useful tools to the creativity of Indigenous people who lived hundreds, thousands, or even millions of years ago.
These civilizations needed all kinds of gear to survive and protect them from their environments, whether they lived in the Arctic or the Amazon. Imagine, for instance, trying to hunt in an endless sea of white snow on a sunny day without sunglasses — you’d never be able to see your prey because you’d have to spend the whole time squinting to keep the blinding sunlight out of your eyes. Or try getting a good night’s sleep on the forest floor, knowing that reptiles and rodents are crawling around your toes. It’d be easier with a hammock to lift you off the ground.
Indigenous people invented countless tools and strategies for survival that were so effective, we still use them today. Discover magazine asked researchers for some of their favorite examples.
