Carbohydrates in the History and Development of Human Culture

The basic carbohydrates of cellulose, starch, and sucrose were known and used by humans from very ancient times. They have had a major impact on the development of culture by providing clothing, food, shelter, and writing materials. The following are some examples. 

Archaeological evidence indicates that cotton was being used in India to make fabric and string as early as 3000 b.c.e. Around 1500 b.c.e., India apparently was the center of a cotton industry that spread to Persia (Iran), China, and Japan. 

The writings of Herodotus (500 b.c.e.) and Pliny the Elder (60 c.e.) indicate that cotton fiber was known to the Greeks and Romans. Columbus (1492 c.e.) found it used by the natives of the New World. In the conquest of Mexico and Peru, cotton cloth was discovered to be in use, and ancient Peruvian tombs had mummies covered with cotton strips, dating 6000-5000 b.c.e. 

Flax is a fiber plant that was cultivated in the stone age. Flaxseed was probably first gathered for food. The fiber is a relatively high-quality cellulose that is used to make linen. It was grown in ancient Egypt for the manufacture of linen cloth. Linen was also produced by the Chaldeans, Babylonians, Phoenicians, 

Essentials of Carbohydrate Chemistry Springer-Verlag New York Inc. 1998 

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