Leonardo da Vinci's notes reveal he understood wood charring benefits before the Japanese. Research published in Zenodo shows Leonardo described the protective qualities of charred wood over a century before the Japanese codified Yakisugi. Yakisugi is a Japanese architectural technique. It chars wood to protect it from water, fire, insects, and fungi.

The Japanese codified Yakisugi techniques in the 17th and 18th centuries. Leonardo's notes predate this. He wrote about the benefits in the 15th or early 16th century.

This discovery changes our understanding of architectural history. It suggests Leonardo's genius extended beyond art and engineering. The research highlights the importance of studying historical documents.

Leonardo da Vinci was a Renaissance polymath. He produced over 13,000 pages of notes. These notes contain inventions foreshadowing future technologies. Less than a third of his notes survived.

Further research will examine Leonardo's notes for other unrecognized innovations. Scientists will explore the extent of his knowledge of material science. This could lead to new bioarchitecture techniques.