Most of the technologies we use today, especially the smartphone, have completely taken over what were considered pioneering devices just a few decades ago. But almost every gadget today has an early version that changed the way people live.

Advances in design and technology have removed original products from the market but not from history. To compile this list of pioneering inventions that hardly anyone uses anymore, 24/7 Tempo reviewed company websites, reference materials, and media sources. We considered products that were invented mostly over the last 150 years and that have significantly changed the way people perform a task or communicate.

The thought of the smartphone being cutting-edge technology may make teenagers laugh, but there was a time when people didn’t have everything available at the touch of a button. Long-distance communication was unheard of, and listening to music on the go was a novel concept.

Though there are many fairly recent inventions we have all but forgotten, many of today’s cherished ideas, tools, and even foods can be traced back to the ancient world. Here are 20 ancient inventions we still use today.

Click here to see the modern inventions we no longer use