Camels were introduced as pack animals in Ancient Egypt because they enabled much longer desert journeys than donkeys. Camels could go without water for days, significantly increasing how far caravans could travel. This gave unprecedented freedom of movement. Scholars tentatively date camels being first introduced around 3000 BCE, though they were later forgotten before being reintroduced and gaining widespread use between the 1st century BCE to 3rd century CE. Camels allowed the re-routing of desert trade tracks further into the desert.