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Microbes in Perspective: Of Collectors and Classifiers |
Chapter: 2
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The Flavoring of History Throughout history, salt has been an undercurrent to life. Salt may have been discovered when early humans followed cattle to outcrops of salt rock and watched as the animals licked the salt. Probably one of the first human industries was evaporating water from saltwater to obtain the salt. Many early civilizations centered on salt-pans such as the Dead Sea in the Middle East, the Nile River in Egypt, and the Yellow River in China.
At one time, salt’s utility as a preservative and seasoning made it a form of money. The early Greeks and Phoenicians, both noted traders, exchanged salt for goods. In addition, the Arabs based their economy in large measure on salt from the Dead Sea. Roman legionnaires were given salt allowances, and later, cash was substituted so that could purchase salt. The word "salary" is the modern descendent of this cash. Well after the Renaissance, salt continued to have economic value. For example, it was often used in the slave trade in Central Africa, where little salt was available. The Via Saleria (salt road) of Italy remains as a testament to the ancient and current significance of salt. Today the world consumes almost 200 million tons annually. So pervasive is salt that when we leave for school or work, we often think of "going to the salt mines."
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