Agronomic conditions and crop evolution in ancient Near East agriculture

Abstract

The appearance of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent has propelled the development of Western civilization. Here we investigate the evolution of agronomic conditions in this region by reconstructing cereal kernel weight and using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope signatures of kernels and charcoal from a set of 11 Upper Mesopotamia archaeological sites, with chronologies spanning from the onset of agriculture to the turn of the era. We show that water availability for crops, inferred from carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C), was two- to fourfold higher in the past than at present, with a maximum between 10,000 and 8,000 cal BP. Nitrogen isotope composition (δ15N) decreased over time, which suggests cultivation occurring under gradually less fertile soil conditions. Domesticated cereals showed a progressive increase in kernel weight over several millennia following domestication. Our results provide a first comprehensive view of agricultural evolution in the Near East inferred directly from archaeobotanical remains.

Plant domestication through an ecological lens

“…Overall, we need more extensive comparative work to assess the generality of whether resource use trait strategies have changed during crop domestication in accordance with the expectations of trait-based ecology. Moreover, we need further information on how environmental conditions in croplands have changed over time, particularly for the earlier stages of domestication [18,19].…”

“…Those traits make plants fast growing. Cultivation generally leads to higher and more predictable nutrient and water supply rates [7,18,19]. Thus, it is reasonable to hypothesize that a shift from resource-conservation towards resource-acquisition trait profiles has occurred in parallel with domestication, and that species with resource-acquisition profiles would be preadapted for cultivation.…”

Phosphorus Management in High‐Yield Systems

“…Wheat ( Triticum spp.) yields were ∼0.5 to 1.2 Mg ha −1 in some of the earliest, rainfed agricultural communities in the Middle East 3000 to 12,000 BP (Araus et al, 2014). Unlike more agriculturally advanced areas, current yields in the Middle East are roughly equivalent at 0.7 to 1.2 Mg ha −1 (Araus et al, 2014) and were even similar to those in the United States between 1865 and 1940 at 0.7 to 1.1 Mg ha −1 (USDA‐NASS, 2019).…”

“…Fertilization was undoubtedly initiated by ancient peoples observing improved harvests where ash, nutrient‐rich sediments, domestic wastes, and green and animal manures were applied. These observations led to rudimentary fertilization evident in the archeological record (Araus et al, 2014). But the availability of these fertilizers was minimal and management was not well understood.…”

First evidence of agro-pastoral farming and anthropogenic impact in the Taman Peninsula, Russia

“…Understanding these processes is crucial in revealing the complexity and dynamics of ancient societies in order to comprehend current Mediterranean landscapes (e.g. Araus et al, 2006).…”