People assume older generations were more stupid than us.
They were just as smart, if not smarter.
When people say Such and such could not be done with the tools of the time, they are usually wrong. We may simply not know the techniques they used with those tools, or all the simple tools they had at their disposal.
When I look into these claims, they usually fail because they make assertions that cannot be proven, such as “this could not be done”.
Or, This is impossible with out advanced technology.
Most people couldn’t chop down a tree today with a saw or axe. Let alone know how to sharpen it.