Planet of Hats
Donor
From what I can tell - and I'm no expert - the use of rubber in the Old World never really became a major thing until the late 1700s or early 1800s despite Eurasia and Africa having had the potential to access it since Europeans arrived in Central and South America. However, in the New World, it was used in a number of capacities since at least 1600 BC, even to the point of using an early form of processed rubber.
What would the ramifications be of the use of rubber becoming more common in the Old World well before the late 1700s? Would it have any utility in Europe and Asia before industry became a thing? Is it even possible to discover sulphur vulcanization earlier? And if it is, what could vulcanized rubber be used for?
Basically what happens if we figure out rubber in the 1600s, or even the 1500s?
What would the ramifications be of the use of rubber becoming more common in the Old World well before the late 1700s? Would it have any utility in Europe and Asia before industry became a thing? Is it even possible to discover sulphur vulcanization earlier? And if it is, what could vulcanized rubber be used for?
Basically what happens if we figure out rubber in the 1600s, or even the 1500s?