And through history, the initial "snacks" weren't an indulgence; they were a necessity. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors depended on what nature offered before the advent of agriculture. As they traveled, they frequently ate berries, nuts and seeds that gave them a quick energy boost. This was very important when bigger game couldn't be found to hunt; these were small and easy meals, eating often.Jump ahead to the days of the great civilizations, and snacking began to take on a more corporeal form with the advent of agriculture. As an example, the ancient Egyptians liked their flatbreads with a drizzle of olive oil; in ancient china people had millet or rice cakes.