Food & agriculture

Manioc (cassava, also prepared as tapioca) is grown in South America along the west coast (Peru), although it probably was domesticated earlier in the tropical inland region. See also 2800 bce Food & agriculture; 2000 bce Food & agriculture.

The honey bee is domesticated in Egypt earlier than this date, for a temple drawing from this time shows the earliest known depiction of beekeeping and honey preparation. See also 2700 bce Food & agriculture.

The domesticated two-humped Bactrian camel is present (Turkmenistan or Iran), although probably domesticated earlier (Kazakhstan, northern Mongolia, or northern China).

People living on the west coast of South America (Peru) begin to divert river water into their fields. See also 6000 bce Food & agriculture; 2000 bce Food & agriculture.

Records indicate that bitumen, derived from petroleum seepage, is used in great quantities for waterproofing by the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, with shipments to Ur of over a hundred tons from sites such as Hit on the Euphrates or other centers. Bitumen mixed with sand or fiber (called mastic) is also used as a building material during this period and until Antiquity. See also 3000 bce Materials.

The oldest preserved weight, found in the Mesopotamian city of Lagash, is 477 g (about 17 oz). See also 2500 bce Mathematics; 2100 bce Mathematics. (See essay.)

History of Science and Technology, edited by Bryan Bunch and Alexander Hellemans. Copyright © 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.