Vicia peregrina: An edible early Neolithic legume

Yoel Melamed*, Uzi Plitmann, Mordechai E. Kislev

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

26 Scopus citations

Abstract

We identified hundreds of Vicia peregrina (rambling vetch) seeds from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A site of Netiv Hagdud, an uncommon archaeobotanical find. The hilum, radicle and the depression under the lens (chalaza) are seen in several of the charred seeds lacking a testa. The rambling vetch and lentil are the prevailing legume seeds found at the site. Rambling vetch seeds contain small amounts of toxic compounds. The residents of Netiv Hagdud could have used tools found at the site for peeling, soaking and probably cooking the seeds, procedures that remove or reduce these toxic components. Mixing the vetch with cereals can also reduce the toxicity by dilution. We suggest that the rambling vetch seed could have been collected in its wild habitat or brought from cultivated wild barley fields. It seems that these unusual finds, which have not been observed in later local sites, are evidence that the start of plant domestication was a trial and error cultivation process. Thus the Netiv Hagdud rambling vetch remains represent the cultivation of a Near Eastern crop plant that was finally abandoned and did not become domesticated.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)S29-S34
JournalVegetation History and Archaeobotany
Volume17
Issue numberSUPPL. 1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2008

Keywords

  • Domestication
  • Legumes
  • Neolithic
  • Netiv Hagdud
  • Pulses
  • Vicia peregrina

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