5 ms·

I always like to think about the first person who thought of this. "Hmm let's pee on some wheat and barley, I wonder if this will prove if the woman is pregnant

I always like to think about the first person who thought of this. "Hmm let's pee on some wheat and barley, I wonder if this will prove if the woman is pregnant".

watwut 6y ago
Some woman peed on wheat/barley while working outside, it sprouted. She noticed and later found out she is pregnant. Theory formed, gossip did rest to let others know too.
RandallBrown 6y ago
It's probably something more like the wheat and barley was waste and they peed in the same area they dumped their waste. One family noticed their barley was sprouting, while another's didn't. Shortly after, the family with the sprouts had a baby. It could have taken generations for this to be actually used as a pregnancy test.
- ardy42 6y ago
  It's also possible that there was some theory behind it that was wrong but happened to lead to an accurate technique.
  - nerdponx 6y ago
    I was going to suggest this. The Romans for example took a lot of medical interest in urine.
- TheCondor 6y ago
  It's still a remarkable observation. Presumably urination was a private thing then as it is now. It seems like a coin toss between some 'shaman' suggesting it and it turned out to be true vs the many observations that had to happen. Women generally have a good idea, perhaps some women started to observe it as they maybe didn't want more children and didn't want men to know about it and we worried about each and every possible indication that could reveal it.
  - roel_v 6y ago
    Urination isn't really private in most of the world outside the West.
- dboreham 6y ago
  Or Claire from Outlander told them.
- JauntTrooper 6y ago
  It may also have been observed in livestock.
hutzlibu 6y ago
It was a different time, with magic thinking. Urine was (and is) considered to be strong magically tied to the person, so it was on focus for shamans and priests since ages. And used in combination with many other materials, to heal, to foresee, to curse .. And given, that urine does contain many personal informations, there is truth to it ..
emmelaich 6y ago
There's also the strong link between fertility and spring.

I always like to think about the first person who thought of this. "Hmm let's pee on some wheat and barley, I wonder if this will prove if the woman is pregnant".

watwut 6y ago

Some woman peed on wheat/barley while working outside, it sprouted. She noticed and later found out she is pregnant. Theory formed, gossip did rest to let others know too.

RandallBrown 6y ago

It's probably something more like the wheat and barley was waste and they peed in the same area they dumped their waste. One family noticed their barley was sprouting, while another's didn't. Shortly after, the family with the sprouts had a baby. It could have taken generations for this to be actually used as a pregnancy test.

ardy42 6y ago
It's also possible that there was some theory behind it that was wrong but happened to lead to an accurate technique.
- nerdponx 6y ago
  I was going to suggest this. The Romans for example took a lot of medical interest in urine.
TheCondor 6y ago
It's still a remarkable observation. Presumably urination was a private thing then as it is now. It seems like a coin toss between some 'shaman' suggesting it and it turned out to be true vs the many observations that had to happen. Women generally have a good idea, perhaps some women started to observe it as they maybe didn't want more children and didn't want men to know about it and we worried about each and every possible indication that could reveal it.
- roel_v 6y ago
  Urination isn't really private in most of the world outside the West.
dboreham 6y ago
Or Claire from Outlander told them.
JauntTrooper 6y ago
It may also have been observed in livestock.

hutzlibu 6y ago

It was a different time, with magic thinking. Urine was (and is) considered to be strong magically tied to the person, so it was on focus for shamans and priests since ages. And used in combination with many other materials, to heal, to foresee, to curse .. And given, that urine does contain many personal informations, there is truth to it ..

emmelaich 6y ago

There's also the strong link between fertility and spring.