[CheezyChesster]

But why did it take so long?

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Look at it this way, If I were to ask you to produce for me a very simple "dinner fork" made of metal. But today's technology didn't exist. How long would it take you to first comprehend (design) it ie: probably not very long, Then find the metal to make it with, then actually "mine" the metal. Then how long will it take you to find a way to produce a fire hot enough to melt it down into useable ingots ie:roughly 2,000 degrees should suffice. Then you would need to design and build a machine of some sort to actually manufacture it. But then you need a way to power your machine preferably not by chaining a horse or donkey up to it. How long would it take you to acomplish such a feat ?, my guess is that one entire lifetime wouldn't be enough.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Now that you put it that way...dinner forks are really overrated.

[blam]

"Look at it this way, If I were to ask you to produce for me a very simple "dinner fork" made of metal. "

I've played this exercise in my mind by pretending that I had gone back in time 500 years or so and tried to tell someone how to make something we have today. You'd have to invent everything. Everything moves forward together and most cannot come before their time.