I never tried it, but I bet gold doesn't taste as good as hogs, cows, sheep or goats.
What was the fixiation, (is that a word?) with gold back then?
I thought wealth was how many cattle and tents you had. Maybe how many fields you had.
When did gold happen?
I've read that gold first became popular around 6000 B.C. A little later in this History of Gold.
Bottom line "keeping up with the Jones" probably started about 30,000 years ago. Till this day, anything rare and shiny enthalls us, especially if you are a human of the XX variety. Remember diamonds are a girl's best friend!