Agroaldea
The discovery added 12.000 years to the agreed date to date the beginning.
Findings located in a neolithic settlement of Galilea, in northern Israel, shed light on the dawn of agriculture ago 23.000 years, 11.000 years before the date on which the findings of the first attempts of human beings to practice this technique are dated.
The Middle East or the Fertile Crescent is considered the “Cradle of Civilization” because it was where our nomadic ancestors became sedentary and settled in agricultural communities, what brought about a revolution dated by the researchers makes a 12.000 years.
But a multidisciplinary group which brings together archaeologists, botanists and ecologists Israeli Bar-Ilan universities, Haifa and Tel Aviv, in collaboration with US Harvard, A study published this week in the scientific journal PlosOne, that debunks the accepted date of commencement of cultivation.
“The amazing thing about our research is that, for the first time, we have found barley and wheat 23.000 years in a settlement of hunter-gatherers in the Sea of Galilee and discovered that they had already begun to cultivate”, He explained Professor Ehud Weiss, Research Department of the Land of Israel and Archeology at Bar-Ilan University.
The site where they were found is known as Ohalo II, an enclave hunter, fishermen and gatherers who lived on the shore of Lake Gennesaret or the Sea of Galilee, during the Mesolithic, where six huts were found, a grave, well-preserved remains of animals and plants, as well as the Mediterranean pearl necklaces and stone tools.
The site is located nine kilometers south of the modern city of Tiberias and was discovered in 1989 when the lake waters receded due to drought.
The research findings are based on three aspects. First, is the presence of a greater amount of wheat and barley planted that wild type. “We have a percentage of about 40 percent of plant remains rougher than the wild, which they tend to be softer, which means that there was some genetically modified”, refiere Weiss. According to researchers, This would show that the planting and cultivation of cereals in this ancient community could last for years.
Second, greater volume was expected of “proto-Rastrojos“, those who proliferate with crops, and only they had been discovered 11.000 years later, the traditionally accepted date of the beginning of agriculture.
[quote]All discoveries of this site reflect how smart they were his people do 23.000 years and knew to use environmental resources efficiently.[/quote]
Finally, analyzes revealed the tools found existence of sickles and flint scrapers, employees to cut and harvest grain and are believed to be the oldest ever found.
Other aspects that reinforce the study are about 150.000 remains of plants that appeared in some cockpits, It is showing that the inhabitants of the enclave came to collect more than 140 environmental plant species.
These samples foodgrains as barley and wild oats mixed identified with 13 species “proto-Rastrojos”, those ancestors of undesirable weeds with crops flourish, indicating that mingled with the harvest unintentionally.
There were also morphological changes in the environment valleys and found a rudimentary tool to grind cereal, It burned and crushed with stones on which areas could cook a primal dough, similar to it, the researcher.
With everything, He is cautious when putting a new date at the beginning of agriculture and describes the discovery of a “attempt culture”.
“According to the evidence we can assure that they began to grow cereals, but apparently it was not an event that will last over time and there is a hole over 10.000 years after which all started from scratch and then yes was successful”, subraya Weiss.
The agricultural revolution not only changed society, but the planet and it it is believed that preceded human settlements and could promote the development and appearance of the property and civilization as we conceive it today.
Weiss stresses that agriculture was a change in relationships between men and women, since during stage collection was more equal, but the man became dominant with increased resources and knew how to use that influence.
“Both in the family and in society that began agriculture was a major change and settled society and this influenced the emergence of technology because human beings had more free time”, concludes.