Conny Waters – AncientPages.com – During periods of climate change in the Bronze and Iron Ages, it was more common for farmers in the Near East to irrigate wine grapes rather than olive trees. during times of climate changes.
Researchers analyzed charred remains of ancient plant samples, have determined that irrigation practices were employed to sustain grape cultivation in areas where viticulture was prioritized.
The team looked at over 1,500 seed and wood samples from grape and olive plants from the Early Bronze Age to the Iron Age (5,000 to 2,600 years before today).
The samples originated from from the Levant region and northern Mesopotamia, which today includes Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, and northern Iraq.
By examining the ratios of stable carbon isotopes, which are non-radioactive forms of carbon that remain unchanged over time, researchers were able to determine the amount of water available to plants during their growth. This analysis provides valuable insights into historical environmental conditions.
In the Early Bronze Age, water stress was closely aligned with seasonal fluctuations in moisture levels. As time progressed into later periods, there was an increase in variability in water stress patterns. The cultivation of grapes and olives in drier regions during these times suggests a more extensive application of irrigation techniques to support agriculture.
Evidence indicates that intensive irrigation of grape crops dates back to the Middle Bronze Age, alongside the cultivation of grapes in regions not naturally conducive to their growth. This implies that grapes and wine held significant cultural and economic importance during this period, supporting conclusions drawn from earlier archaeological studies.
“Our research demonstrates that farmers in the Middle East thousands of years ago were making decisions about which crops to plant and how to manage them, balancing the risk of harvest failure with the effort needed to irrigate, and the likely demand for their products,” research senior author Professor Dan Lawrence said.
“It reminds us that people in the past were just as smart as people today, and that seemingly modern issues like resilience to climate change and the need to allocate resources carefully have long histories.”
The findings are published in the journal PLOS One. The research was led by the University of Tübingen, Germany.