Ancient Rome is legendary for engineering.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_engineering

There is this notion I see going around that in the past people survived by being brutish animals and smart people would have died quick. In fact, it's the opposite. We outcompeted other animals because we are NOT like them. Because we engineer. In a hunter gatherer society someone who builds traps, designs better huts or tents, etc could be extremely valuable.

Buffet's self-deprecation is admirable but lacks imagination.