Trope:Lost Technology


 * "I have said this before, and I do feel it is worth reiterating for those of you about to embark on archaeology degrees: ancient and powerful civilizations doNOT leave dangerous weapons lying around on theoff chancethat their descendants might someday find themselves in a tight squeeze andneed them."
 * — Professor Bernice Summerfield, "Beyond the Sun"


 * "To be fair, we don't invent them. We find them. They're gifts, Mr. Miles, from Those Who Came Before."
 * — Warren Vidic, Assassin's Creed I

Beyond Schizo Tech, beyond Scavenger World, there's Lost Technology.

Applied Phlebotinum. Similar to Imported Alien Phlebotinum, with the catch that the current population comprises the survivors or replacements of an age that fell due to its arrogance, war, or some other catastrophe.

Let's face it. The Ancients had some pretty neat gear. Robots, weapons, even the answer to The Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything. Easy to use, little or no maintenance required, and after thousands of years of neglect often still in perfect working order!

...oh yeah, and this technology usually completely and utterly destroyed the Ancients and most of the world with it. But that doesn't stop the villains (or the heroes) from wanting to get some for themselves by pillaging an Advanced Ancient Acropolis. Usually, said Lost Technology then tries to destroy the world again. Some, but not all, heroes are smart enough to try to keep people away from the stuff.

Occasionally the good guys need Lost Technology to combat ancient evils that have arisen again (or villains who have acquired Lost Technology of their own). They usually use it as best they can, despite Black Boxes. Still, they suffer from Low Culture, High Tech. Often, this is the origin of a Super Hero, and it can justify why the Disposable Superhero Maker won't work twice.

May also show up in the guise of Lost Magic in fantasy settings. Often a consequence of No Plans, No Prototype, No Backup. Also see Sufficiently Advanced and Pointless Doomsday Device. Compare Bamboo Technology. A subtrope of Older Is Better. Frequently overlaps with Sufficiently Advanced Bamboo Technology. May lead to an Archaeological Arms Race.

Examples

 * The Soleilian Empire's technology is generally superior to modern day's. Much like ancient Rome, pretty much all the roads in modern Osea were built by Soleil. It's ships especailly were vastly superior tthan anything that came after it. Well, that was mostly the case... Directian soldiers are better equipped than their Soleilian counterparts, and while far more expensive and slow to construct, Directian Dreadnoughts are better armoured and have more firepower than Soleilian ships.


 * ​Took, the naval power of its day (until Directus became a superpower) basically just raised Soleilian ships or found those that were not destroyed, and attempted to immitate their construction, with mixed success.
 * Black Steel, a technology that was fairly widespread under Soleil, is now only produced by a very small group of smiths near Midgar. Even now the vast majority of the blades in circulation were produced by Soleil, not by modern smiths.
 * Soleilian marble was a lost art for a few hundred years but has recently been rediscovered which allowed for the construction of many modern marvels like The Great Qwilz Bridge or the Imperial Palace.