Origins of Agriculture in Fertile Crescent Arose in Several Different Places

Agriculture caused a huge shift in the way our ancient ancestors lived. Human populations suddenly became sedentary as opposed to nomadic, paving the way for the formation of villages, towns and, eventually, cities. For decades, archaeologists have tried to find the origin of agriculture. Now, though, they've discovered that agriculture didn't arise in just one location; it emerged in several different places at once.

Previous archaeological evidence showed that early plant domestication occurred in the western and northern Fertile Crescent. In this latest study, though, researchers turned to the aceramic tell site of Chogha Golan. There, archaeologists documented an 8 meter thick sequence of exclusively aceramic Neolithic deposits dating from 11,700 to 9,800 years ago. The excavations provided a wealth of remains, including stone tools, depictions of humans and animals, bone tools, animal bones and charred plant remains. It's these plant remains that truly intrigued the researchers, though.

Using samples from the site, the scientists analyzed 30,000 plant remains spanning a period of more than 2,000 years. The researchers found evidence of wild barley, boat-grass and lentil--all wild ancestors of modern crops. After examining these remains, the researchers were able to conclude that the origins of agriculture in the Middle East didn't just occur in a single place. Instead, it emerged from multiple centers at the same time. 

These plant remains from Chogha Golan represent a unique, long-term record of cultivation of wild plant species in the eastern Fertile Crescent. Over a period of two millennia, the economy of the site shifted toward the domesticated species that formed the basis for the rise of village life and, eventually, entire civilizations.

The archaeological findings reveal not only that agriculture occurred in this area, but also that there wasn't just one "origin" of plant domestication. As hunter-gatherer societies slowly began to settle down and begin farming, humans began to pave the way for the eventual rise of modern civilization.

The findings are published in the journal Science.