Analysis Of The Book ' A History Of The World '

The idea that the humans were beginning to enter a period of progress, and abandon the way of their hunter-gather lifestyle is repeated in these paragraphs. The concept of this dramatic shift is essentially the main subject. Although there is little information within the two sections that regard the presence of beer in Mesopotamia and Egypt, I believe Thomas Standage wanted the reader to know that beer was an important aspect of the daily lives of the people in Mesopotamia and Egypt of all levels within the social classes.

Beer started out as gruel, and as the gruel fermented it turned into beer. Now it was not the first form of alcohol, but it was an important kind of alcohol. Beer was made from cereal crops, which were very abundant, and because it was so abundant it could be made whenever it was needed. They then found an even easier way to make beer by using beer-bread. Beer bread is basically everything needed to make beer in a loaf, making it convenient to store the raw beer materials. Beer started as just a social drink but then blossomed into a “hallmark of civilization”, as seen by the Mesopotamians. Grain was the basis of the national diet, it was

Tom Standage’s A History of the World in Six Glasses discusses the importance of six beverages (beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, Coca-Cola), each of which define distinctive periods of civilization. The comparably minor, yet crucial role of water is also represented in support of Standage’s argument regarding not only the necessity of each drink as a requisite to life, but also the role of each drink as a stimulus for cultural diffusion and development. Various historical developments, ranging from water purification to convivia, are utilized to depict each beverage’s appeal and the contributions of each drink towards its respective era of prosperity, subsequently illustrating various historical themes that mark the progression of society

Beer originated in Egypt and Mesopotamia during the Neolithic period. Beer was not so much an ‘invention’ as it was a ‘discovery.’ It was a very social drink, meaning both the rich and the poor consumed it and due to the fact it was used in many religious ceremonies. Beer was also a reason that people during the Neolithic period adopted agriculture. Some purposes for the use of beer include wages for workers. Instead of paying workers with physical money, they instead paid them with beer. Beer also proved to have many medicinal benefits.

Is it strange that cereal grains go from bland to exciting and favorable to use in everyday life by one invention: beer. The cereal grains was turned not boring by adding only two things: water and time. The Egyptians' love for beer faltered since they made at least seventeen types of beer. Neither did the Mesopotamians' excitement, since they made over twenty types of beer. Also in Mesopotamia, they had government storehouses that hold beer-bread named bappir to keep for making beer or to use during food shortages. When people were passionate about something they dwell on it and that is what the Mesopotamians and Egyptians showed. The hype for beer did not end there since it became a symbol of friendship. The most important thing, that beer might have done to the Egyptians, Sumerians, Incas and China was to be used in religious offerings like funerals since it was a gift from gods. In my opinion, beer most been good, since they considered highly to be given to their gods. Then, beer turned socially acceptable after all the Sumerians started making stories about people turning human when eating bread and drinking beer. That is when beer is started to be use in everyday life instead of once a while because beer became a part of their culture. The Mesopotamians invented writing for the purpose of collection and distribution of bread and beer. Which led to inequality because depending on their job, they get a specific amount of beer and bread as payment since it was currency. Beer was important on many levels. It was used for food, religious offerings, stories, and

6. Beers relationship with writing is that some of the first records are receipts for the selling of beer. The cuneiform symbol for beer had changed over the years to become more abstract. Beers relationship with commerce is that it was used as a currency. When laborers were being paid in both Mesopotamia and Egypt they were given a certain amount of bread and beer depending on the job. This ties in with writing due to the fact that the people kept records of the amount that they were paid. Beer was actually healthy due to the fact that it wouldn’t be completely fermented, therefore it would contain yeast that provided nutrients and vitamins. The Egyptians believed that it could be used with other ingredients to cure illnesses like indigestion and constipation. It was also used as a sedative.

1A. We can find out about prehistoric lives through non-written sources such as pictograms. There is many benefits to exploring history through non-written sources. Through these sources you are able to understand how the first civilizations kept track of everything such as their surplus. In addition to this, since writing was not around when the first civilizations had started, through these resources we are able to learn what happened since these early civilizations did have non-written sources.

In Tom Standage’s novel a History in Six Glasses, Standage credits the discovery of beer and wine to the Neolithic Revolution. The Neolithic Revolution allowed humans to abandon their previous nomadic lifestyle they had in the Paleolithic era, and instead to discover how to produce agriculture and raise cattle. Humans were able to establish settlements in fertile areas with predictable climate, like the Fertile Crescent, resulting in farming spreading throughout the region. Rice and wheat became one of the first plants they cultivated, and eventually the production of beer and wine came to be. Beer was discovered when humans began to store and ferment grain. Soon, because of how easy and accessible grain was beer began to dominate the Egyptian

Beer was associated with the domestication of cereal grains meaning it was associated with farming, which was a big part of creating a civilization. 2. What does this history of beer in the ancient world tell us about the early civilizations? The history of beer in the ancient world tells us that beer was the epicenter for almost everything in early civilizations.

Beer helped transform the lifestyle of a nomadic one to a more modern one, “Mesopotamians and Egyptians alike saw beer as an ancient, god–given drink that

The first drink, beer, came to existence around 10,000 BCE. Beer was a great alternative beverage, because at the time, water was an unsafe beverage to drink. Beer is made from barley and wheat and naturally associated with the domestication of cereal grains. Beer is also involved in one of the earliest written documents. The symbol of beer can be found on a record, which helped record the collection and distribution of the thirst-quencher. Beer and bread later became a type of currency, which could be used in trading, or simply paying a worker. Today, after making a toast, we clink our glasses together as if we are sharing a drink from a large jar as the people of Mesopotamia once did.

For example, in early 3400 BCE it was very difficult to find fresh, clean, drinkable water. “In both cultures beer was a staple foodstuff without which no meal was complete. It was consumed by everyone, rich and poor, men and women, adults and children, from the top of the social pyramid to the bottom. It was truly the defining drink of these first great civilizations." (30)

The first chapter of A History of the World in 6 Glasses taught me about the significance of beer in many ancient civilizations. Beer has been around for thousands of years and brought about drastic changes to ancient societies. The discovery and process of brewing beer is something that I had no knowledge of until reading this book. Beer was discovered between the years 10,000 BCE and 4,00 BCE, after farmers had access to grains and began to store them. After experimenting with grains, farmers discovered that wet grain becomes intoxicating after being fermented. What surprised me the most was that the discovery of bread is closely related to the discovery of beer. I never thought that bread and beer were discovered around the same time, because

The sources the author use to gather his information of the use of beer was ancient writing and records.

From fancy beer to the lowest quality that you could receive, beer was presented in celebrations or events because this drink “brought people together since the dawn of civilization” and this bringing together allowed the exchange of cultures and traditions to be passed down from generation to generation just like wine (39). These interactions shaped the mind of man, and helped them have