Early uses of petroleum

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section needs to be wikified to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please help improve this article with relevant internal links. (October 2007)

Petroleum in an unrefined state has been utilized by humans for over 5000 years. Ancient Persian language tablets indicate the medicinal and lighting uses of petroleum in the upper echelons of their society. Ancient China was also known to burn skimmed oil for light.

The early 19th century ushered in petroleum's usefulness as a medicine and lubricant; other successful uses included lighting and heating. A petroleum industry emerged in North America in Canada and the United States, fueling the industrial revolution.