A history of olive and grape cultivation in Southwest Asia using charcoal and seed remains
Author(s)
Date Issued
2024
Type
article
Volume
19
Issue
6
Start Page
1
End Page
33
Journal
Abstract
Evaluating archaeobotanical data from over 3.9 million seeds and 124,300 charcoal fragments
across 330 archaeological site phases in Southwest Asia, we reconstruct the history
of olive and grape cultivation spanning a period of 6,000 years. Combining charcoal and
seed data enables investigation into both the production and consumption of olive and
grape. The earliest indication for olive and grape cultivation appears in the southern Levant
around ca. 5000 BC and 4th millennium BC respectively, although cultivation may have
been practiced prior to these dates. Olive and grape cultivation in Southwest Asia was
regionally concentrated within the Levant until 600 BC, although there were periodic pushes
to the East. Several indications for climate influencing the history of olive and grape cultivation
were found, as well as a correlation between periods of high population density and high
proportions of olive and grape remains in archaeological sites. While temporal uncertainty
prevents a detailed understanding of the causal mechanisms behind these correlations, we
suggest that long distance trade in olives, grapes and their associated products was integral
to the economic, social, and demographic trajectories of the region.
Additional information
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