Mon, 28 Oct 2002 17:29:37 GMT P van Rijckevorsel wrote:

Actually archaeology is not required here. Acorn has been a staple food
through much of human history (ie in historic times). That is why the
name "acorn" contains the stem "corn" = "grain" as in wheat or rye. Only in
the last few centuries it has been demoted to an animal food.

Oaks have been significantly correlated with rising civilizations. A typical
picture is to start out with a site on a river surrounded by dense oak
forests. On such a site a city may arise, to become famous. Happened time
after time.

Countries well known for their luscious and dense oak forests include Greece
and Britain, both giving rise to well-known civilations. Of course when such
a City reaches its peak, the oaks will be much on the decline, getting used
up as fuel.

A typical example of a City-that-would-not-be if it were not for oaks and
acorns is London. Look at a map of London some time, and see all the street
names.


I go back much further than this. I go back to a time before agriculture was
discovered. Before agriculture it seems as though the humans or hominids
could have lived in a oak forest environment and that the oak acorns became the
first "bread" at the campfire and thus the first "crop". It is perhaps likely
that
the oak became the first agriculture staple crop in that a band of hominids
would make their "home" a grove of oak trees.