Cro-Magnon were prehistoric humans who produced sophisticated tools and lasting art. The historical evidence of their daily lives gives us a sense of the useful and artistic inventions they used to transform their environment. Later inventors from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and China continued to find ways to adapt natural materials and invent new technologies. This volume traces the development of historic inventions from ancient times to the early 1800s, when Robert Fulton brought steamboats into wide use. The vast range of inventions in this time period will enthrall tinkerers and readers of all ages.