Many things that we think of as ordinary are extraordinary. We think that the human race is common species. But if we are expanding our scale we must realize that we don't know any other similar species. There are physically many similar species with us, but there is no other known technically and culturally advanced species on our planet, or anywhere else. We might think that the Sun is the common star because we see it every day.
The Sun is not a common star and Earth is not a common planet at all. If we have eight planets in our solar system, Earth is the only planet that has a large mass of liquid surface water. There other objects in our solar systems where we can find oceans, but those oceans are covered by ice. The surface water and the tidal waves are causing the conditions that the species rise to drylands.
Fire is the key element of advancing the culture. Fire gives warmth, and it can use to handle metals.
The reason why humans learned to make fire is that humans needed that skill. But we don't know any other species, that can make fire. Then we might think about skills like making a fire. We can make fire by using matches or lighter, but can we make fire without that equipment?
What would you do if the woods are wet, and you need to make a fire? You can turn the starch into alcohol by using yeast and burn it in the dish.
We can make fire by rubbing the two pieces of wood against each other. In that case, friction is causing heat, which will start to burn the wood. If we have some kind of assistant like dry grass, we might make fire quite fast. And if we have alcohol, that thing makes making fire faster. We know Mesopotamians made beer and wine a long time ago. But did Mesopotamians drink that product so much? Alcohol was a good thing to preserve things like vegetables. And that's why beer and wine are used in ancient Mesopotamia for many other purposes than just drinking.
The strong alcohol or spree is excellent fuel, and it was probably made by putting the extra yeast and starch to the wine, and the yeast turned to wine to spree. Spree was an excellent tool for many purposes. If burning alcohol jar is thrown at the enemy it would be an excellent incendiary. The flames of burning alcohol are hard to detect. And that thing makes the alcohol itself an excellent weapon. So Molotov's cocktail was invented in ancient Mesopotamia.
Alcohol is thing that is suitable for many things, and it's a good disinfector. But it's also good fuel. Making the 96% spirit is quite an easy process. The years must only have starch, which turns to spirit, which can use as fuel. Alcohol can burn in the cauldron, and that thing is allowing to make fire also in the areas where the wood is wet. Surviving in wet and cold areas requires some kind of fuel, and strong alcohol is suitable for that purpose. We don't know any other species, that have the skill to make alcohol.
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