Julian Nott and Jim Woodman tested their theory that manned smoke balloons of cotton and reed not only controlled these designs but may also have been used for ceremonial/religious festivals in which important members of the society who had died were transported on a ritualistic journey to the sun, the god they worshipped... "To our surprise," says Nott, "the quality of the smoke was crucial. Modern historians--laughing at the Montgolfiers, who believed that what was being burned to heat the balloon was important--claim that all that mattered was the heat. However, this balloon showed that it is essential to have...