Researchers have just discovered the secret behind crucibles made in the Hesse region of Germany since the Middle Ages. It turns out the 500 year old recipe using kaolinitic clay, which was fired at 1,100 degrees, was making a very modern material known as mullite, which is used in advanced ceramics today.

Just recently it was found that swords made in Damascus nearly 1,000 years ago were so sharp because the edges contained carbon nanotubes. Unfortunately, the method for making those swords has been lost for hundreds of years.

Much like mythology has something to teach us in the modern day, many alchemical recipes have been found to harbor secrets to modern day materials over the last few years. Scientists who take the time to study the past often have insights into the way things work that the modern era seems to have forgotten.