Engineering has been an aspect of human life since ancient times, with early civil engineering possibly starting between 4000 and 2000 BC in Egypt or Mesopotamia when humans began settling down. As transportation became more important, developments like the wheel and sailing emerged. Until modern times, there was little distinction between civil engineering and architecture, with terms like engineer and architect often used interchangeably. Some of the largest and most impressive ancient civil engineering constructions include the Egyptian pyramids, the Qanat water system in Iran, the Parthenon in Greece, the Appian Way and aqueducts built by the Romans throughout their empire.