Introduction & Contents Time Line 4.6 million - 2000 B.C.   CURRY, SPICE & ALL THINGS NICE - the what - where - when FOOD IN HISTORY TIME LINE Precambrian period   4,650,000,000-700,000,000 B.C Paleozoic 570,000,000 B.C. Shellfish - Trilolites 500,000,000 B.C. Fish - Chordates 430,000,000 B.C. Vascular Land Plants 395,000,000 B.C. Amphibian - Insects 345,000,000 B.C. Fern Forests 320,000,000 B.C. Reptiles Mesozoic   225,000,000 B.C. Triassic - Dinosaurs - Mammals 200,000,000 B.C. Pangaea - one landmass attached to Antartica 195,000,000 B.C. Jurassic - Birds 180,000,000 B.C. Pangaea splits into Laurasia and Gondwanaland 136,000,000 B.C. Cretaceous - Primaye - Flowering Plants 100,000,000 B.C. Supercontinents split to make Atlantic Cenozoic   65,000,000 B.C. Dinosaurs disappeared 65,000,000 - 12,000,000 B.C. Tertiary - Grazing and Carniverous Mammals 2,500,000 B.C. Pleistocene - Human beings - Late in Pleistocene humans crossed over to the New World via the Bering land bridge. 2 million BC Earliest tool making in East Africa. 500,000 BC Cave dwellers use fire (Homo Erectus), but only from natural sources. Making of recognisable tools. 300,000 BC Ice Age reaches Europe. Southern Europe turned into chilly tundra. 250,000 BC Indian sub-continent first populated. 200,000 BC Neanderthal Man evolves in Asia and colonises Europe. 150,000 BC Homo Sapiens evolves in Africa and starts to move outwards to Nile Valley - India - Malaysia and to Australia and through Russia to China and also into Europe. 125,000 BC Ice Age forces Neanderthals into Near East. Homo Sapiens migrates to Near East. 50,000 BC Plants and animals used as more than mere food in, and near China. 40,000 BC Homo Sapiens sweeps into Europe in large numbers 38,000 BC Crudely fashioned fish hooks in evidence. 33,000 BC Homo Sapiens arrives in the Americas from Asia. 30,000 BC Neanderthal Man extinct. - Bow and arrow invented 14,000 BC Dogs tamed in S.E. Europe 12,500 BC Ice retreats. 12,000 - 9,000 BC Early manipulation of plants and animals. 10,050 BC to10,000 BC End of Ice Age. End of Paleolithic era - Mesolithic era begins. Possible time of Osiris supported by many astrological theories. 9,000 BC Sheep and goat farming in Eurasia, plus wheat and barley. Open settlements in Iraq, Jericho and Jordan. First pottery appears in Japan. 8900 BC Evidence of farming at Sharidar in Kurdistan. 8,000 BC Neolithic Man learns to make fire by friction. Large animals start to disappear as climate heats up. Start of cultivation in Mesoamerica, Middle and Far East. Intensified exploration of resources and technological innovation. Jericho exists as a city of 10 acres. Fishing traps in use. 8000 BC Cattle in Eurasia. 7,900 BC Oldest known surviving piece of pottery found in China dated to this period. 7,800 BC Nautufian Jericho the oldest recorded town 7,000 BC Chillies are gathered in South America - lima beans in Peru. 6500 BC Cattle farming known - also pigs, chickpeas and lentils. 6000 BC Millet popular in north China. Olive Oil known. Wine making is started, probably in Caucasia or Mesopotamia. Pottery appears in East Mediterranean basin to Zagros (Iran). peasant farming in Greece. Catal Huyuk in Turkey is a town of 32 acres. Britain becomes an island. 5000 BC Rice farming in Yangtze Delta - short and long grain. Peasant farming in South Balkans. Sumerians rule in Mesopotamia. Earliest use of the wheel. Kept sheep, cattle, donkeys and cultivated dates and cereals. Primitive farming in Tehuuacan, Mexico. Chillies are cultivated in South America 5000 - 4500 BC Metallurgy spreads from Balkans. 4300 BC Nile Valley settled by two tribes under the Pharoah. 4241 BC Egyptians create the calendar. 4000 BC Cattle farming expands. Raised bread starts. Large farming villages exist in China (Yellow River). First city state founded in Mesopotamia. Neolithic cultures from East introduce agriculture to Aegean. Farming in Lower Thames Valley in Britain 3600 BC Troy founded by Neolithic settlers from Kum Tepe by the Dardenelles. 3,500 BC Winter squash, tomatoes, avocadoes, beans, corn, used as staples in Central America. Potatoes in Peru, plus millet, rice, wheat, coconuts, bananas in Asia. Two wheel carts exist in Sumeria. 3,200 BC Silk weaving discovered in China. 3,100 BC Egypt unified. Archaic Period (Dynasty 1 - II) to 2686 BC 3,000 BC Lebanon settled by Canaanites, later known as Phoenicians. Ur in Mesopotamia are eating cereals and vegetables flavoured with watercress and mustard seeds and leaves and invent beer.Cuniform writing started by the Sumerians. Shen Nung assembles the first documentation on herbs. Turmeric, cardamom and pepper is grown in India and mustard in China. Shortly after this, ginger and cinnamon arrive from the tropical forests of Southeast Asia and Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Vines cultivated in Egypt and Phoenicia for wine-making. Horses in Russia.Mesopotamia well versed in beer brewing. Llama and alpaca domesticated in Andes. 2,852 BC China ruled by The Three Sovereigns. 2,800 BC Cretans already an influence in Aegean, having originally come from the Levant. Cultivation of rice evident in China 2,700 BC Silbury Hill created. 2686 - 2181 BC Old Kingdom in Egypt (Dynasty III - VI) 2,680 - 2,565 BC Pyramids built in Egypt. 2,500 BC Olive oil popular in Crete. Thriving community in Indus Valley. Rice in Central India to Taiwan. Ancient Egyptians regularly using spices, especially cumin, anise and cinnamon in their embalming processes. Others starting to be mixed into cosmetics, purifying incenses and foods. Egyptian sailors trading for cassia and cinnamon in the Land of Punt (Somalia). First sea spice routes established, passing up the west coast of India, along the Arabian coast and through the Red Sea to Egypt. The Bible refers to spices as part of everyday life during the period: In Ezekiel, cassia and calamus is placed in Phoenicia; Moses is said to have used myrrh, cinnamon and calamus in the oil prepared to anoint the Ark of the Covenant; Joseph, of the many-coloured coat, was sold by his brothers to a camel train carrying spicery, gold and myrrh. Cumin, anise and cinnamon used for embalming in Egypt. 2,300 BC Cheese used in Egypt. 2,200 BC Semite Amonites settle around Babylon. 2,070 BC Hitites attack Mesopotamia, introducing horses for war. 2,000 BC Greek speaking peoples emerge ruled by a heroic warrior class. Winemaking now widespread throughout Greece. Chickens recorded in India. The Time Line 2000 B.C. to the Year 0 (click on the key)