What was the original purpose of salt?
                                
                                
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                                    4 min read                                
                            
                                Evidence suggests humans have been harvesting and using salt for at least 8,000 years, with ancient Chinese salt works dating back to 6000 BCE. These early civilizations were not seasoning their food for culinary flair alone; they depended on salt for much more fundamental needs, showing what was the original purpose of salt.