Use of Oil in Ancient Times
It is a well-known fact that the most abundant liquid on earth is water. An interesting fact is the second most abundant liquid is petroleum, the driver of multiple industries globally today. However, petroleum was in use much before the modern oil and gas industry came into being, with many cultures harnessing and utilizing petroleum for architecture, shipping, home uses, medicines etc. Though oil was not traded much till recent times, its ubiquity in ancient times paints a fascinating picture of the way humans were using natural resources to move towards a more industrial future. This blog will look to cover the various applications of oil by ancient cultures in this regard.
Petroleum in the Middle East and China
The petroleum industry is first encountered in the archaeological record near Hit in what is now Iraq. Hit is on the banks of the Euphrates River and is the site of an oil seep known locally as The Fountains of Pitch. There asphalt was quarried for use as mortar between building stones as early as 6000 years ago. Asphalt was also used as a waterproofing agent for baths, pottery and boats. The Babylonians caulked their ships with asphalt. In Mesopotamia around 4000 B.C., bitumen – a tarry crude – was used as caulking for ships, a setting for jewels and mosaics, and an adhesive to secure weapon handles. Egyptians used it for embalming, and the walls of Babylon and the famed pyramids were held together with it. About 2000 years ago the Chinese used oil and natural gas for heat and light. Bamboo pipes carried gas into home.
Oil in pre-Columbus America
The American Indians collected oil for medicines. The American settlers found its presence in the water supplies a contamination, but they learned to collect it to use as fuel in their lamps. Indians near Sacramento used asphalt to waterproof their baskets and to glue fibres of a soap-root brush to form a handle with twine. Also, hard asphalt was used to make blades for knives and arrowheads. Their counterparts on the coast in the Mattole Valley in Northern California also harvested the sticky, dark material that made baskets airtight, secured arrowheads to wooden shafts and for some was said to have served as medicine for colds, coughs, burns and cuts.
Native Americans traded crude oil that they obtained from oil seeps in upstate New York among other places. The Seneca tribe traded oil for so long that all crude oil was referred to as ‘Seneca Oil’. Seneca Oil was supposed to have great medicinal value. It sold for $20 per quart in a time when skilled workmen were paid pennies per hour. The Senecas also used crude oil for body paint and for ceremonial fires.
Last Words
The first, large scale demand for petroleum was generated by the invention of the kerosene lamp in 1854. The first oil well was drilled in 1859 by Col. Edwin Drake and this gave rise to the modern petroleum industry and related industries like steel fabrication. However, as can be observed, oil has been valued throughout the centuries and was an integral part of daily activities since ancient times. With the advent of motor vehicles, petroleum or “petrol” became a household necessity and it is one of the most essential commodities today. Thus, there is much to learn from the various applications of petroleum through the ages and how it is impacting our way of life to this day!