This is true for even very, very simple technology. My favorite example is gunpowder (the smokey kind we don't even use anymore), which requires potassium nitra

This is true for even very, very simple technology. My favorite example is gunpowder (the smokey kind we don't even use anymore), which requires potassium nitrate, which without modern (c. 19th century) processes you have to a) get lucky and find a cave you can mine/scrape from; or 2) collect manure, pour urine on it for a year, and then scrape off the top and process. It's actually freaking amazing anyone figured out how to do this, even though with hindsight we understand each reaction.