[Little Ray]

I agree! Barley was cultivated in order to brew beer, the true mother of Civilization!

[Kenny Bunk]

Barley was cultivated in order to brew beer, the true mother of Civilization!

Dr. Hugin, Before you begin packing for Norway (take a sweater)I am afraid more of your seminal research may be needed to counteract this classic example of the lopdsided logic now taught in the public schools:

I must ask these boys; if there were no beer, how would these primitive types have known about the Barley thing? Beer definitely antedates barley.

Barley clearly evolved from beer. Hops were added, one may speculate ... but not in Science Class, through Intelligent Design.

[SunkenCiv]

In that case, here's something you'll really like...

Beer Brewing Paralleled the Rise of Civilization
by Kurt Stoppkotte
National Geographic News
April 24, 2001

The idea behind the theories about the early emergence of beer is that grains could be grown in poorer soils and required less water to grow than other crops, such as grapes. Unlike grapes, however, grains had no juice to extract. Therefore, they had to be soaked in water, which led to a natural fermentation process that produced what Julius Caesar described as "a high and mighty liquor."