Early Egyptians and Mesopotamians discovered that if barley grains were wetted, allowed to germinate, and subsequently dried, the barley would be sweeter and less perishable. When water was added, a mildly alcoholic beverage was produced through the action of naturally occurring yeast. The first recorded evidence of brewing was found in Egypt in 6000 B.C. From there, the technology passed to Greece, to Rome, and to the rest of the Roman Empire. By the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, brewing was well established in the monasteries of northern Europe. Later in Europe and in early America, most households brewed their own beer. As towns and cities developed, home brewing was replaced by the small brewery, which eventually disappeared during Prohibition in the United States. Thereafter, the commercial brewing industry emerged. A good economy, improved technology, and better ingredients have allowed home brewing to flourish again as a leisure-time hobby.