Bicycles are a relatively new invention because they require roads/flat paths which are also a relatively new occurance, and came about due to the widepread use of horses and then carraiges for transportation.
A bike at any other point in human history would have been completely useless trying to traverse natural terrain.
Mountain bikes do not require roads or flat paths; they work fine on trails (hence the name "mountain bike"), which have existed since large animals evolved.
However, mountain bikes arguably require even more technologies than other bicycles, especially for suspension and brakes (MTBs pioneered the use of disc brakes on bicycles).
A bike at any other point in human history would have been completely useless trying to traverse natural terrain.