My theory is that we have quite a few of these abandoned techologies which, for reasons other than utility, have been replaced with bloated, over-engineered ones. Occasionally some really nifty technologies have to be abandoned because society can no longer support them or because they no longer fit the environment they are used in.

A good example is provided by Jared Diamond in "Collapse". The Vikings moved to Greenland with some very powerful technologies, particularly their farming and herding. They were probably much more evolved than their Inuit (Eskimo) neighbors. However, due to a number of factors like over-grazing and climate change, these superior technologies could no longer cut the mustard in western Greenland. As a result, the Vikings, who were unable to de-evolve and become more like their Inuit neighbors, died out. The Inuit managed to hone their skills in the area for many centuries after.

If the Vikings had picked up the art of skin kayaks and fish-catching techniques, they might have survived too.