Figure 1.--Here we see the wheat harvest, bringing in the sheaves, somewhere in the Middle East about the turn-of-the 20th century. The image, however, could have been taken 5,000 years earlier. Basically the same technology was involved. Modern wheat was domesticated in the hot, sunny, and arid climate of the Middle East. This created problems when Europeans began growing it, especially Europeans north of Itlay beyond the Alps. There the climate was colder, more cloudy, and wetter. Yet the preferred grain for Medieval Europeans was wheat. (And before corn was aqquired from the Americas in the 16th century it was a huge percentage of the diet.) And this meant that the periodic crop failures and resulting famines because of the climate could have devestating results.

Grains were the most important agricultural crops. All the great River Valley civilizations were based on farming grain. Wheat appears to have been the first cereals grain to have been domesticated. Its ability to self-pollinate was a major factor in the the selection of many distinct domesticated varieties suitabke for varying climates, especially water requirements. Wheat as a an agricultural crop was developed in the Middle East The domestication of wheat was magor step in the Agricultural Revolution that resulted in the birth of civilization. Wheat became the major crop in the Middle-East and Europe. It was wellsuited for the Mediterranean climate, but less so for the less benign climate of northern Europe. Cultural trends meant that farmers in norther Europe tried to grow wheat, but encountered periodic crop failiures because of climatic and weather events. This limited popultion growth in nothern Europe. It was also a factor in the Viking outburst (10th century AD). The European discovery of the Americas fundamentally changed European history. Wheat continued to be an important crop and food item, but the introduction of the potato from the Americas significanly increased food production in northern Europe. The opening of the Great Plains in North America as well as other areas such as Australia and Argentina greatly expanded grain production in the 19th century.

Wild Wheat

Archaeological is not only about finding monumental structures and diggin up old bones. Modern archeology armed with DNA technology has provided us fascinating analysis of ancient diets and assessments of the plants that early man began domesticating. For wheat this was wild emmer wheat. Hunter gatherers collected emmer and other grains from the wild and eaten for thousands of years before its domestication. It is native to the Fertile Crescent. It was found in the hilly grass and wooded lands from modern Israel and Turkey east to Iran. Wild einkorn wheat wa also found in the same area. Grains including wheat ancestors were food items gathered by early humans for thousands of years. We note that both species were collcted by hunter gathers because traces of both species have been detected with the sites of people and the dawn of agriculture and civilization.

Domestication

Wheat appears to have been the first cereals grain to have been domesticated. Its ability to self-pollinate was a major factor in the the selection of many distinct domesticated varieties suitabke for varying climates, especially water requirements. We know that the wild relatives of wheat first grew in the Middle East. At first and for most of the Paeolithic era humans only gathered. Over time they began seeding areas and returning during the appropriate seaon as part of their wandering and gathering. This becanme increasingly common in the late Paeolithic era. Wheat has been found by archeologists in early human settlements that pre-date the great River Valley civiizations. Modern wheat is the product of two major development. First is a cross between three different grass species (about 10,000 BC). This was followed by humn intervention. Humans began selcting the largest grain heads which meant strains best suited forvlocal groiwing conditions.

Agriculture

Wheat is today one of the world's most important food crops. It is also the crop that led to the development of civilization itelf. Wheat was one of the first plants to be cultivated. It was first grown about 11,000 years ago, but at first it was just a small part of food production of hunter gather people in the late Paleolithic era. Changes in people's lives were required for wheat to become more important. This was the Agricultural Revolution that led to civilization. Higher levels of social organization were required and this led to civilization. As people began growing more of their own food instead of wandering and hunting, permanent settlements developed. One result of this was that fields needed to be defended. Laws were needed to control expanding social interactions. Dikes abd canals in he arid Middle East needed to be built and maintained. And ultimately accounting methods and records needed to be kept as farmers and traders bought and sold the ever expanding harvest. Populations grew. Wheat was not the only agricultural crop, but it was the first important one and by far the most olne most desired because people liked to eat wheat bread. Bountiful harvests created more free time and supported technological advances in many areas as well as artistic pursuits. This also led to cities which create an envirment that generates technological and artistic pursuits. The surplus also led to trade contacts with far away lands. his meant meeting new peoples with new ideas--leading to more technological progress.

Spread

Whet farming spread beyonf the MiddleEast. It reached Asia, Europe and North Africa (4000 BC). It also became an important crop in southern Asia. New species of wheat were developed as farmers selected kernels from their best wheat plants to use as seeds for planting the following year's crop. That way over time farmers selected for local groing conditions leading to new varieties. Wheat became an important world wide crop with a range of species being grown in varied climatic conditions. Even so, the best yields were reported in climatic conditions of the Midfdle East. It was well-suited for the Mediterranean climate. The civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus, Persia, Greece, Cathage, and Rome were all based on Wheat.

Northern Europe

Wheat was less suitable for the colder more cloudy climate of northern Europe. Cultural trends meant that farmers in northern Europe tried to grow wheat, but encountered periodic crop failiures because of climatic and weather events. This limited popultion growth in nothern Europe. It was also a factor in the Viking outburst (10th century AD). The European discovery of the Americas fundamentally changed European history. Wheat continued to be an important crop and food item, but the introduction of the potato from the Americas significanly increased food production in northern Europe.

New Growing Areas

The opening of the Great Plains in North America as well as other areas such as Australia and Argentina greatly expanded grain production in the 19th century. And new tecnologies like mechanical reapers (harvesters) substantially improved productivity. None other than Abraham Lincoln was caught up in the patent wars over these medchanical reapers (1850s). These advances occured in America. The Russians for their European breadbasket continued to rely on the serf and labor-intensive methods. Wheat continued to be the preferred crop. Corn was growing in importance, but more for animal feed than human consumption. By the turn-of-the 20th century all the potentially productive growing areas had been developed--in some case like the American Great Plains over developed.

Created: 6:17 AM 2/5/2012
Last updated: 7:39 PM 5/21/2019