1.   Belief in the afterlife, which began in Egypt in the fourth millennium B.C., eventually led to the first primitive mummifications.

2.   By the late fourth millennium, the Sumerians began to meet the requirements for ranking as a cradle of civilization.

3.   He theorizes that the first use of metal, in the fourth millennium B.C., was for decorative buttons.

4.   In the fourth millennium B.C. those local cultures expanded geographically and began to interact, compete with each other and coalesce.

5.   Wine and beer are among the oldest alcoholic beverages known, originating in at least the sixth through fourth millennia BC in the lands of the ancient Near East.

6.   Wrapped in a pottery ball from the fourth millennium B.C. discovered in the Near East are the records of a tax having been paid.

7.   Evidence dating back to the fourth millennium B.C. reveal that beer was widely consumed in grain-rich countries such as Egypt and Mesopotamia.