But it is in India, where it was used as an offering in religious and magical ceremonies, that we have the first written record of sugar. Long before the first pyramids were built in Egypt, the ancient Sumerians traded with the people of Harappa and Mohenjo Daro, who lived along the Indus River. Unfortunately, we are still not able to read the writings left behind from those ancient cities. So the first documents telling us about life in that region come from a much later period. These Hindu sacred teachings were probably first gathered together sometime between 1500 and 900 B. C., and were carefully memorized. Only hundreds of years later were they finally written down. The Hindu writings tell us of a religion in which fire was extremely important. People believed that the gods gave fire to human beings. Yet fire was also a way for humans to reach the gods. By placing offerings in a special fire, a priest could turn them into smoke and send them on to the gods. Five ingredients were selected for this special burning: milk, cheese, butter, honey, and sugar cane.