Gold didn't reach its current adoption over 1000 years. It always had the current adoption rate. 1000 years ago, if someone gave you gold, you wouldn't wonder, "gee, should I keep this shiny yellow metal or throw it away?" - you would keep it.
We've found gold ornaments in pre-pottery neolithic sites dating back thousands of years. The % of people who want to own gold was near 100% even thousands of years ago.
If anything, gold adoption rate has declined in the modern fiat age, at least in western countries.
