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One of the ancestors of the Palestinians, the Philistines started the agriculture revolution in Palestine that revolutionized the diet.
Philistines introduced cumin, bay leaves and opium poppies into Middle Eastern diet | Daily Mail Online
Not such Philistines after all: Ancient culture introduced cumin, bay leaves and opium poppies into the Middle Eastern diet
Published: 12:33 GMT, 31 August 2015 | Updated: 13:50 GMT, 31 August 2015
They are an ancient warmongering people whose name has become associated with cultural ignorance.
But the Philistines were not as lacking in sophistication as the modern use of their name suggests, according to recent findings.
In fact, they appear to have had a deep fascination with exotic plants and flavours and were responsible for introducing many new species to the Middle East.
Opium poppies (pictured) are thought to have been cultivated first in west Europe but new research suggests the Philistines brought the plant, which can be used to produce the drug heroin, to Palestine and the rest of the Middle East during the Iron Age when they migrated to the region along with cumin and sycamore
Archaeologists have discovered the ancient sea-faring culture is responsible for first introducing cumin, sycamore, bay leaves and even opium poppies to the region's diet.
They say there is growing evidence that the Philistines were also the first community to exploit 70 plants that grew in Palestine including wild radish, saltwort and henbane.
GIANT GATES FOR A GIANT'S CITY
It was the Biblical city where the giant Goliath lived, and was one of the most powerful in the Philistine empire before it was destroyed in the ninth century BC.
Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of an enormous gate and fortified wall which are giving clues to just how formidable the city of Gath may have been.
The monumental gate is the largest to ever be found in Palestine and much like its most famous inhabitant – Goliath - it would have intimidated any who approached it.
The gate of Gath is referred to in the Hebrew Bible in the story of David's escape from King Saul to Achish, the King of Gath.
It appears the Philistines were responsible for an 'agricultural revolution' in the Middle East during the Iron Age between 1200 BC and 600 BC.
And this suggests the Philistines were actually the height of agricultural and culinary sophistication at the time compared to their neighbours.
The researchers said that during their 600-year presence in Palestine and the surrounding areas, the Philistines left a 'biological heritage' of plants that are still cultivated in the country today.
Suembikya Frumin, an archaeologist from Bar-Ilan University who led the work, said: 'The range of exploited plant species changed significantly in the wake of the appearance of the Philistine culture.
'It expanded to include several species which had not been cultivated in the preceding Bronze Age in the Levant along with many synanthropic weeds and wild species.
'The appearance of the Philistine culture, with its foreign human elements which arrived by migration, was accompanied by translocation of plant and animal species that derive from diverse localities, and together with the introduction of new agrarian technologies led to changes in diet and land-use.'
Archaeologists have found evidence in Palestine and the Middle East that reveal how new species of plants were introduced to the Middle East by the culture (illustrated above). Red dots show Philistine sites where the plants were found while yellow, purple and green show where cumin opium poppy and sycamore originate
The number of plants at Iron Age sites (IA in the map on the left) in Palestine were found to have many more species of plants compared to the Bronze Age (BA). Philistine sites were also found to have far more new species of plants compared to other cultures living in Palestine at the same time (illustrated right)
The Philistines were a group of people who often clashed with their neighbors and are mentioned several times in the Hebrew bible, including the famous story involving the Philistine giant Goliath.
They are thought to have been one of a number of cultures collectively known as the Sea Peoples who began raiding around the Mediterranean at the end of the Bronze Age.
Large numbers are thought to have settled in Palestine and the surrounding areas, becoming a major force before being absorbed into the Babalonyian and Persian empires.
The researchers, whose findings are published in the journal Scientific Reports, compiled a database of more than one million plant remains that have been found at archaeological sites, including seeds, fruits and flowers.
Cumin is now a popular spice but in the Bronze Age its use was limited to just a handful of small areas in Egypt. Researchers have found the Philistines appear to have helped introduce it to elsewhere in the Middle East
They compared those from the Bronze Age prior to when the Philistine culture is thought to have arrived with those the Iron Age.
They also compared the plant remains found in large Philistine cities such as Ekron, Gath and Ashkelon with those from non-Philistine sites.
Dozens of plants that appear to have been absent in the area through the Bronze Ages were found to appear in the Philistine towns and cities.
These included the sycamore tree, Ficus sycomorus, an African species whose fruits became popular in the eastern Mediterranean, and cumin.
Opium poppies, which originated in western Europe, also appeared in the archaeological record, suggesting their seed and leaves were used as food.
Miss Frumin said: 'The edible parts of these species – opium poppy, sycamore, and cumin – were not identified in the archaeobotanical record of Palestine prior to the Iron Age, when the Philistine culture first appeared in the region.
'None of these plants grows wild in Palestine today, but instead grow only as cultivated plants.'
The researchers found 52 per cent of plant species found at Philistine sites were new species that were not being used during the Bronze ages.
By comparison just 30 per cent of new species were found in non-Philistine sites.
The researchers said there is also evidence some species such as the Bay tree, which had been used for timber during the Bronze Age in Palestine, started being used for food by the Philistines.
Similarly they are thought to have introduced the use of coriander, which had been used in Egypt during the Bronze Age, into the diet in Palestine.
The study continued that this fits with the idea that the Philistines migrated to the area bringing with them the diets and farming habits of other ancient cultures.
'This fits in very well with our understanding of the multiple origins of Philistine culture, related mainly to Mediterranean littoral cultures,' they explained.
'They introduced Philistine dietary package joins the few, select examples known from antiquity of such extensive translocations of both exotic flora and fauna.'
Read more:
Philistines introduced cumin, bay leaves and opium poppies into Middle Eastern diet | Daily Mail Online
Not such Philistines after all: Ancient culture introduced cumin, bay leaves and opium poppies into the Middle Eastern diet
- Archaeologists have found evidence the Philistines introduced hundreds of plants into the diet in Palestine and surrounding areas of the Middle East
- They also brought new species like the drug producing opium poppy
- Researchers said the Philistines drove an 'agricultural revolution' in Palestine
Published: 12:33 GMT, 31 August 2015 | Updated: 13:50 GMT, 31 August 2015
They are an ancient warmongering people whose name has become associated with cultural ignorance.
But the Philistines were not as lacking in sophistication as the modern use of their name suggests, according to recent findings.
In fact, they appear to have had a deep fascination with exotic plants and flavours and were responsible for introducing many new species to the Middle East.
Opium poppies (pictured) are thought to have been cultivated first in west Europe but new research suggests the Philistines brought the plant, which can be used to produce the drug heroin, to Palestine and the rest of the Middle East during the Iron Age when they migrated to the region along with cumin and sycamore
Archaeologists have discovered the ancient sea-faring culture is responsible for first introducing cumin, sycamore, bay leaves and even opium poppies to the region's diet.
They say there is growing evidence that the Philistines were also the first community to exploit 70 plants that grew in Palestine including wild radish, saltwort and henbane.
GIANT GATES FOR A GIANT'S CITY
It was the Biblical city where the giant Goliath lived, and was one of the most powerful in the Philistine empire before it was destroyed in the ninth century BC.
Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of an enormous gate and fortified wall which are giving clues to just how formidable the city of Gath may have been.
The monumental gate is the largest to ever be found in Palestine and much like its most famous inhabitant – Goliath - it would have intimidated any who approached it.
The gate of Gath is referred to in the Hebrew Bible in the story of David's escape from King Saul to Achish, the King of Gath.
It appears the Philistines were responsible for an 'agricultural revolution' in the Middle East during the Iron Age between 1200 BC and 600 BC.
And this suggests the Philistines were actually the height of agricultural and culinary sophistication at the time compared to their neighbours.
The researchers said that during their 600-year presence in Palestine and the surrounding areas, the Philistines left a 'biological heritage' of plants that are still cultivated in the country today.
Suembikya Frumin, an archaeologist from Bar-Ilan University who led the work, said: 'The range of exploited plant species changed significantly in the wake of the appearance of the Philistine culture.
'It expanded to include several species which had not been cultivated in the preceding Bronze Age in the Levant along with many synanthropic weeds and wild species.
'The appearance of the Philistine culture, with its foreign human elements which arrived by migration, was accompanied by translocation of plant and animal species that derive from diverse localities, and together with the introduction of new agrarian technologies led to changes in diet and land-use.'
Archaeologists have found evidence in Palestine and the Middle East that reveal how new species of plants were introduced to the Middle East by the culture (illustrated above). Red dots show Philistine sites where the plants were found while yellow, purple and green show where cumin opium poppy and sycamore originate
The number of plants at Iron Age sites (IA in the map on the left) in Palestine were found to have many more species of plants compared to the Bronze Age (BA). Philistine sites were also found to have far more new species of plants compared to other cultures living in Palestine at the same time (illustrated right)
The Philistines were a group of people who often clashed with their neighbors and are mentioned several times in the Hebrew bible, including the famous story involving the Philistine giant Goliath.
They are thought to have been one of a number of cultures collectively known as the Sea Peoples who began raiding around the Mediterranean at the end of the Bronze Age.
Large numbers are thought to have settled in Palestine and the surrounding areas, becoming a major force before being absorbed into the Babalonyian and Persian empires.
The researchers, whose findings are published in the journal Scientific Reports, compiled a database of more than one million plant remains that have been found at archaeological sites, including seeds, fruits and flowers.
Cumin is now a popular spice but in the Bronze Age its use was limited to just a handful of small areas in Egypt. Researchers have found the Philistines appear to have helped introduce it to elsewhere in the Middle East
They compared those from the Bronze Age prior to when the Philistine culture is thought to have arrived with those the Iron Age.
They also compared the plant remains found in large Philistine cities such as Ekron, Gath and Ashkelon with those from non-Philistine sites.
Dozens of plants that appear to have been absent in the area through the Bronze Ages were found to appear in the Philistine towns and cities.
These included the sycamore tree, Ficus sycomorus, an African species whose fruits became popular in the eastern Mediterranean, and cumin.
Opium poppies, which originated in western Europe, also appeared in the archaeological record, suggesting their seed and leaves were used as food.
Miss Frumin said: 'The edible parts of these species – opium poppy, sycamore, and cumin – were not identified in the archaeobotanical record of Palestine prior to the Iron Age, when the Philistine culture first appeared in the region.
'None of these plants grows wild in Palestine today, but instead grow only as cultivated plants.'
The researchers found 52 per cent of plant species found at Philistine sites were new species that were not being used during the Bronze ages.
By comparison just 30 per cent of new species were found in non-Philistine sites.
The researchers said there is also evidence some species such as the Bay tree, which had been used for timber during the Bronze Age in Palestine, started being used for food by the Philistines.
Similarly they are thought to have introduced the use of coriander, which had been used in Egypt during the Bronze Age, into the diet in Palestine.
The study continued that this fits with the idea that the Philistines migrated to the area bringing with them the diets and farming habits of other ancient cultures.
'This fits in very well with our understanding of the multiple origins of Philistine culture, related mainly to Mediterranean littoral cultures,' they explained.
'They introduced Philistine dietary package joins the few, select examples known from antiquity of such extensive translocations of both exotic flora and fauna.'
Read more:
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