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Which crops were first grown in the Fertile Crescent?
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Origins of agriculture
Harvesting wheat on a farm in the grain belt near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. A potash mine appears in the distant background.
In the Fertile Crescent, early agricultural communities transitioned from gathering wild plants to cultivating domesticated crops. The primary cereal grains grown by these early farmers included barley and wheat, specifically early domesticated forms such as emmer and einkorn.12
In addition to these grains, archaeological evidence from sites like Abū Hureyra indicates that early inhabitants also cultivated rye and various legumes, such as lentils and vetch. These crops were essential to the development of settled village life, providing a stable food source that allowed for population growth and the eventual rise of complex societies in the region.132