Ancient Fig Clue To First Farming

[Viggen]

Ancient figs found in an archaeological site in the Jordan Valley may represent one of the earliest forms of agriculture, scientists report. The carbonised fruits date between 11,200 and 11,400 years old.

 

full article at BBC

[Pantagathus]

But other carbonised finds, such as domesticated rice found in Korea thought to date from about 15,000 years ago, have made defining the exact origins of agriculture complicated.

 

Well, the Native Americans obviously figured agriculture out without help from the Near East so why do they have to cling so much to diffusionism? Why couldn't the ancient Koreans have figured it out independantly?

[Moonlapse]

I don't understand this.

The US and Israeli researchers say the figs are a variety that could have only been grown with human intervention.

In nature, parthenocarpic fig trees appear now and again by a chance genetic mutation; but because they do not produce seeds, they cannot reproduce alone - they require a shoot to be removed and replanted.

"In this intentional act of planting a specific variant of fig tree, we can see the beginnings of agriculture. This edible fig would not have survived if not for human intervention."

So really, these nine figs could have been collected from a naturally occuring parthenocarpic fig tree. How are they asserting that it was 'intentionally' planted? I can understand if there is a widespread distribution of seedless figs around this period, but nine? Am I missing something?

[Pantagathus]

So really, these nine figs could have been collected from a naturally occuring parthenocarpic fig tree. How are they assering that it was 'intentionally' planted? I can understand if there is a widespread distribution of seedless figs around this period, but nine? Am I missing something?

 

Maybe they were imported by the people who built the Bosnian Pyramid?

[Pertinax]

Parthenocarpics can have quite a high population density in areas with parasitic activity-various types of worm for example attacking a type of fruit. Although the parths' have no means of propogation they exist to protect the community they belong to as a whole, some plants can have a 20 percent population by proportion of mature fruits so -id suggest you cant jump to conclusions about diffusion theory at all, as you have to know about parasite populations first.As plant species can be global ,or have niche representatives where does that lleave diffusion theory? I dont say I disregard it ,but I tend to think multiple centre ,simultaneous ((geologically speaking the timescale is totally insignificant) diffusion/coalescence.

 

Unless someone from Atlantis gave them to his Uncle in Bosnia.

 

and I just had to post this warning about MUTANT fruit..

 

http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DM...it/mythseed.htm

Edited June 6, 2006 by Pertinax

[Moonlapse]

Oh yes, I did not take into account the ultra-advanced pre-pre-Illyrians. thanks for pointing that out guys.