History Main / SufficientlyAdvancedBambooTechnology

* ''StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'':

* ''[[BlakesSeven Blake's 7]]'': Sinofar and Jiroc, representatives of a long-dead civilization, appeared to use a combination of this and psionic powers to interfere with a battle in space and teleport selected combatants to a ritual battleground.

* The reimagined ''BattlestarGalactica'' subverted this with the Arrow of Apollo (it didn't actually appear to have any special properties; being really just a museum artifact).

* ''BabylonFive'': The [[CrystalSpiresAndTogas Minbari]] are generally the ones to disguise their technology as simple glass rings (in "The Gathering" pilot movie), crystals (a lot of their tech), stone constructs (the ancient Wheel of Fire), etc. Even the interiors of their starships look a bit like really shiny alien cathedrals, and the control centers of their major warships, the ''Sharlin''-class warcruisers, resemble black voids with surreal levitating stones above a lighted circle where the command crew stands and observes the battle, which is projected holographically around them. The Minbari (or at least the [[SpaceElves religious caste]]) are obsessed with tradition, so this is in keeping with their on-screen portrayal. They are also a deceptive people who "never tell anyone the whole truth," so the fact that a lot of their technology is "hidden" from plain sight like this makes sense.

** Several other ancient races on various episodes of its SpinOff, ''{{Crusade}}''.

* The Frozen Wheel from ''{{Lost}}'': It looks Stone Age, but turning it manipulates space-time and teleports you to Tunisia.

AncientAstronauts and {{Precursors}} have the interesting habit of building their technology to look like primitive artifacts. This is distinguished from classic BambooTechnology in function but not in form. In this case, apparently primitive constructs are actually technologically advanced devices. A shield generator or ancient superweapon may resemble a monument, or idol. Rock faces will hide glowing energy conduits. Crystals can do anything from teleportation of people and objects to enhancing latent psychic powers. Stone tablets with primitive carvings contain hidden machinery, or {{Nanotechnology}}, or some other AppliedPhlebotinum. Ancient control centers and consoles will resemble temples and altars. In many cases, the technology is designed to mimic the appearance of {{Magitek}}, but is actually AppliedPhlebotinum. Usually the aliens in this first variation are either {{Precursors}}, AncientAstronauts, or both, and inhabit [[TechnologyLevels the higher end]] of the [[AbusingTheKardashevScaleForFunAndProfit Kardashev Scale]], but there are exceptions. Though being [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien "Sufficiently Advanced"]] is usually a characteristic of the makers of such technology, it's not required: HigherTechSpecies are known to adopt this style as well. Civilizations at the CrystalSpiresAndTogas level are very likely to use this kind of technology, often subtly blended in with their surroundings or appearing decorative. The ArtifactOfDoom or the MacGuffin in a Sci-Fi setting, if of alien or other fantastic origin, is usually an example of this technology. Many a PowerCrystal and MineralMacGuffin are examples as well. The more ancient LostTechnology is, the more likely it will be an example of this trope.

* Many of the Atlantean technology in Disney's ''Disney/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'', such as [[IfItSwimsItFlies the fish-shaped aircraft]] and the [[HumongousMecha Stone Giants]], are all based on and powered by magic crystals.

** The Nox and their technology (they are SufficientlyAdvancedAliens who try to appear as primitives) also follow this trope closely.

** "The Apple," in which an ancient supercomputer that controls a planet's primitive population is built to look like a Snake-headed giant stone idol.
** The Preservers built an obelisk on a planet inhabited by transplanted Native Americans. It turned out to be a voice-activated asteroid-deflector.
** In the original pilot and "The Menagerie," the [[DyingRace Talosians]] use this sort of technology, including an elevator hidden in a rockface which leads to an advanced underground layer, and a viewscreen embedded in rock shows up in the episode as well. However, though their technology is impressive, the Talosians have forgotten how to maintain it and now rely primarily on their psionic powers for survival.
** The Guardian of Forever in "City on the Edge of Forever" resembles a donut-shaped stone slab, but it is actually a powerful device capable of TimeTravel. It's also sentient, and claims to be extremely ancient, and neither a machine nor alive. It also comes with an AdvancedAncientAcropolis in the background.
** ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': The Ancient Vulcans constructed the Stone of Gol, a psionic resonator superweapon; it resembles a primitive stone artifact.

* The reimagined ''BattlestarGalactica'' subverted this with the Arrow of Apollo (it didn't actually appear to have any special properties).

** In the [[Series/LandOfTheLost1991 Nineties version]], [[BigBad Shung's]] psionic crystal sword, as well as some other ancient technology encountered by the Porters. Similar to the original, the (possibly artificial) title "Land" contains deposits of powerful crystals that act as batteries, among other useful purposes.
* ''{{Series/Farscape}}'': When the ancient Hynerians stranded the Acquarans on their jungle planet, they designed the device that produced the anti-technology force field on the planet to like like a primitive stone statue of a royal Hynerian. From the Acquarans' perspective, the ancient Hynerians were Precursors, despite not being "sufficiently advanced" themselves.

** The [[AbusivePrecursors Shadows]] and [[NeglectfulPrecursors Vorlons]], however, generally averted this trope, as they used [[OrganicTechnology living technology]] and {{Living Ship}}s.

* One of the example {{NPC}}s in ''GeniusTheTransgression'' is a [[MadScientist genius]] from an alternative timeline where metalergy never appeared. As a result, all her [[MagicPoweredPseudoscience wonders]] have a stone age aesthetic. Players can also create characters like this, since the rules pretty much state that they can use any style they want.

* Several episodes of ''StarTrek'':

** ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': The Ancient Vulcans constructed the Stone of Gol, a psionic resonator superweapon; it resembles a primitive stone artifact.

* Parodied in the Flash-animated series ''Stone Trek,'' which is an odd fusion of ''{{Flintstones}}'' and ''StarTrek''. Their stoneship is made of rock and wood, and their reactor core is a portable volcano.

* Many of the Atlantean technology in Disney's ''Disney/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'', such as [[IfItSwimsItFlies the fish-shaped aircraft]] and the Stone Giants, are all based on and powered by magic crystals.

** The Guardian of Forever in "City on the Edge of Forever" resembles a donut-shaped stone slab, but it is actually a powerful device capable of TimeTravel. It's also sentient, and claims to be extremely ancient, and [[BeyondTheImpossible neither a machine nor alive]]. It also comes with an AdvancedAncientAcropolis in the background.

* ''{{Farscape}}'': When the ancient Hynerians stranded the Acquarans on their jungle planet, they designed the device that produced the anti-technology force field on the planet to like like a primitive stone statue of a royal Hynerian. From the Acquarans' perspective, the ancient Hynerians were Precursors, despite not being "sufficiently advanced" themselves.

[[caption-width-right:320: That donut-shaped slab of rock between the quaint little Greco-Roman column and the ruins of the AdvancedAncientAcropolis? It's an ancient [[TimeMachine Time Portal]] that predates the Dawn of Man, and it may or may not be alive...]]

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* The tiny alien humanoids of the worldship Rheton in the early 60's B-Movie ''ThePhantomPlanet'' write on stone tablets and control their hollow asteroid worldship with [[UnusualUserInterface theremin-like pools of water in dishes]].

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[[AC: LiveActionTelevision]]

** The remains of the Tkon Empire's outpost Portal 73, in the episode "The Last Outpost," was a perfect example of this aesthetic, complete with Stone Henge-like rock formations, {{Power Crystal}}s, and HugeHolographicHead.

* ''Series/LandOfTheLost''

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* In the very bad Italian B-Movie ''Cave Dwellers'', whatever plot there is revolves around an advanced device that looks like a crystal rock but is really some kind of early nuclear weapon.

Often, you will know when this sort of technology is working because PowerGlows. Also note that many of the examples involve some form of psionic crystal, or are otherwise combined with psionic powers. Many an AdvancedAncientAcropolis is filled with such devices.

[[caption-width-right:320: That donut-shaped slab of rock between the quaint little Greco-Roman column? It's an ancient [[TimeMachine Time Portal]] that predates the Dawn of Man, and it may or may not be alive...]]

[[caption-width:320: That donut-shaped slab of rock between the quaint little Greco-Roman column? It's an ancient [[TimeMachine Time Portal]] that predates the Dawn of Man, and it may or may not be alive...]]

[[caption-width:320: That donut-shaped slab of rock between the quaint little Greco-Roman column? It's an ancient [[TimeMachine Time Portal that predates the Dawn of Man, and it may or may not be alive...]]

[[caption-width-right:320: That donut-shaped slab of rock between the quaint little Greco-Roman column? It's an ancient [[TimeMachine Time Portal that predates the Dawn of Man, and it may or may not be alive...]]

[[caption-width-right:320:some caption text]]

http://images.wikia.com/memoryalpha/en/images/c/c2/Guardian_of_Forever,_2267.jpg
[[caption-width:495: That donut-shaped slab of rock between the quaint little Greco-Roman column? It's an ancient Time Portal that predates the Dawn of Man, and it may or may not be alive...]]

** The remains of the Tkon Empire's outpost Portal 73, in the episode "The Last Outpost," was a perfect example of this aesthetic, complete with Stone Henge-like rock formations, PowerCrystals, and HugeHolographicHead.

** From the same series, the Triluminaries, which although used by Minbari are not originally Minbari tech (they were given them by Valen, a [[ProphecyTwist "Minbari not born of Minbari," ]][[spoiler: actually Jefferey Sinclair,]] [[StableTimeLoop arrived back in time from the future]], [[spoiler: with technology created by the same people who created the Great Machine on Epsilon 3]]).

SufficientlyAdvancedBambooTechnology, on the other hand, covers mechanisms with a Stone Age (or similarly ancient) appearance but a High Tech function that is beyond the achievements of Industrial or Modern Age technology: primitive-looking but highly advanced technology. Like the Stone Age equivalent of CrystalSpiresAndTogas, this is very often used to illustrate how ''advanced'' a culture's technology is by making it blend in almost seamlessly with their environment and/or architecture.

** The remains of the Tkon Empire's outpost "Portal 73," in the episode "The Last Outpost," was a perfect example of this aesthetic, complete with Stone Henge-like rock formations, PowerCrystals, and HugeHolographicHead.

* ''BabylonFive'': The [[CrystalSpiresAndTogas Minbari]] are generally the ones to disguise their technology as simple glass rings (in "The Gathering" pilot movie), crystals (a lot of their tech), stone constructs (the ancient Wheel of Fire), etc. Even the interiors of their starships look a bit like really shiny alien cathedrals, and the control centers of their major warships, the ''Sharlin''-class warcruisers, resemble black voids with surreal levitating stones above a lighted circle where the command crew stands and observes the battle, which is projected holographically around them. The Minbari (or at least the [[SpaceElves religious caste]]) are obsessed with tradition, so this is in keeping with their on-screen portrayal. They are also a deceptive people, so the fact that a lot of their technology is "hidden" from plain sight like this makes sense.

* The titular object in ''[[IndianaJones Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]]''.

* The Pylons and Matrix Tables in the original ''LandOfTheLost'' (and the rest of [[HigherTechSpecies Altrusian]] technology, too, as well as the technology of the mysterious "[[{{Precursors}} Builders]]"). Since the Land itself was implied to have been constructed, the various colored crystals (psionic and otherwise- they have different properties depending on their color) also count. The Sleestaks and the Marshalls, on the other hand, used actual BambooTechnology.
** In the [[TheRemake Nineties version]], [[BigBad Shung's]] psionic crystal sword, as well as some other ancient technology encountered by the Porters. Similar to the original, the (possibly artificial) titular "Land" contains deposits of powerful crystals that act as batteries, among other useful purposes.

* Parodied in the Flash-animated series ''Stone Trek,'' which is an odd fusion of ''{{Flintstones}}'' and ''StarTrek''. Their stoneship is made of rock and wood, and their reactor core is a portable volcano.