People have used the geothermal energy of hot springs and geysers to heat buildings, dry crops and, since the 19th century, to generate electricity. The ancient Romans built elaborate buildings to house hot baths, and the Japanese and aboriginal Australians have enjoyed natural hot springs for centuries.
François de Larderel, 1827
Geological and anthropological evidence shows that around 10,000 years ago, the Paleo-Indians of North America used hot springs for cooking. In the US, every major hot spring is associated with Native American tribes who held hot springs and geysers as important and sacred. Historically, the areas around hot springs were set aside as neutral zones—areas where no fighting would take place