Human adaptability and flexibility led to the early use of humans for
transporting gear. Porters were commonly used as
beasts of burden in the ancient world, when labor was generally cheap and slavery widespread. The ancient
Sumerians, for example, enslaved women to shift wool and flax. In the early Americas, where there were few native beasts of burden, all goods were carried by porters called
Tlamemes in the
Nahuatl language of
Mesoamerica. In colonial times, some areas of the Andes employed porters called
silleros to carry persons, particularly Europeans, as well as their luggage across the difficult mountain passes. Throughout the globe porters served, and in some areas continue to, as such
littermen, particularly in crowded urban areas. Many great works of engineering were created solely by muscle power in the days before machinery or even wheelbarrows and wagons; massive workforces of workers and bearers would complete impressive earthworks by manually lugging the earth, stones, or bricks in baskets on their backs. Porters were very important to the local economies of many large cities in
Brazil during the 1800s, where they were known as
ganhadores. In 1857,
ganhadores in
Salvador, Bahia,
went on strike in the first
general strike in the country's history. In colonial times, porters were essential to the export economy, carrying goods—including cultural artifacts—often by force. Harsh conditions, poor medical care, and forced labor led to high death rates and disease. In places like Cameroon, these porter services were organized by colonial authorities and resembled slavery, involving brutal treatment and exploitation. == Contribution to mountain climbing expeditions ==