@article{fdi:010088724,
  title = {{O}rigins and evolution of oasis agriculture in the {S}ahara : evidence from morphometric analyses of archaeological date palm seeds},
  author = {{K}aczmarek, {T}. and van der {V}een, {M}. and {I}vorra, {S}. and {M}attingly, {D}. and {T}erral, {J}. {F}. and {G}ros-{B}althazard, {M}uriel},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{O}asis agriculture has been a critical means of sustenance for humans in arid regions in {N}orth {A}frica and {W}est {A}sia. {T}he date palm ({P}hoenix dactylifera {L}.) holds immense significance as one of the most vital species in these agroecosystems. {I}t was domesticated in the {G}ulf region over 6000 years ago and later spread to other regions. {I}n the {S}ahara, the origins of the germplasm and the diffusion history in terms of dating and routes remain largely unknown. {T}o explore these questions, we employed traditional and geometric morphometric methods to analyse 312 well-preserved {P}hoenix seeds from three {L}ibyan sites, dating from the 1st millennium {BCE} to the modern period. {W}e compared them with a large modern reference collection and {E}gyptian archaeological seeds from a previous study. {T}he identification of domesticated morphotypes in the oldest site, {Z}inkekra, confirms that the date palm was already cultivated in the {C}entral {S}ahara during the 1st millennium {BCE}, probably through an introduction from {E}gypt. {T}he large proportion of wild morphotypes however indicates that they represent early domesticates. {B}y comparing seeds at sites in {L}ibya and {E}gypt dating from different periods, evidence was found of a decrease in unclassified seeds and wild morphotypes over time, along with a simultaneous increase in seed elongation. {T}hese results likely reflect the intensification of date palm cultivation, coinciding with the growing prevalence of human selection and vegetative propagation. {O}ur study highlights the potential of seed morphometric analyses in uncovering the domestication and diffusion history of crops, shedding light on how humans have adapted to challenging environments.},
  keywords = {agrobiodiversity ; chronological and geographical dynamics ; crop diffusion ; date palm ({P}hoenix dactylifera {L}.) ; {S}ahara ; seed ; morphometrics ; {LIBYE} ; {SAHARA}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{H}olocene},
  volume = {34},
  numero = {3},
  pages = {353--365},
  ISSN = {0959-6836},
  year = {2024},
  DOI = {10.1177/09596836231211879},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010088724},
}