An imprint left on a piece of Neolithic mudbrick in Georgia is reshaping the history of one of the world's most vital crops. Scientists have identified the impression as belonging to bread wheat, dating back approximately 8,000 years, and argue that the South Caucasus region played a pivotal role in its emergence.
The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), are based on excavations at the ancient settlements of Gadachrili Gora and Shulaveris Gora, located in southeastern Georgia. These sites, part of the Shulaveri–Shomutepe cultural tradition that flourished across Georgia, western Azerbaijan, and northern Armenia between 8,000 and 7,300 years ago, have yielded key botanical evidence. Researchers uncovered wheat spike impressions preserved in mudbrick and plant remains that point to early agricultural experimentation.
From Wild Grass to Staple Crop
The study suggests that bread wheat likely arose through a natural hybridisation process between already domesticated wheat and a wild grass species known as Aegilops tauschii. Nana Rusishvili, a paleoethnobotanist at Georgia’s National Museum, has studied archaeobotanical material from Gadachrili Gora for decades. She notes that the samples provide clear evidence of this crossbreeding. “This gives us the possibility to prove that on the Georgian territory, the bread wheat has been originated and as a result, Georgia is one of the centers of bread wheat domestication,” she said.
David Lordkipanidze, Director of Georgia’s National Museum, highlighted the broader significance of the discovery. “Here we have 8,000 years of traces of bread wheat, as well as we found here some years ago 8,000 years of traces of wine making. So, we can say for sure that here in Georgia, we discovered traces of bread wheat and winemaking, which dates back 8,000 years,” he said. This dual legacy positions Georgia as a cradle of both agriculture and viticulture.
Melinda Zeder, an archaeologist at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, emphasised that the study illuminates how domestication unfolded. She noted that early farmers in the South Caucasus were in contact with neighbouring regions, absorbing knowledge but adapting it to local conditions. “So this really makes the invention of this bread wheat a product of that kind of inventiveness, innovation, on the part of the indigenous people in the South Caucasus that were drawing on those technologies,” Zeder said.
European and Global Implications
The Caucasus and Georgia are part of the Fertile Crescent, a swathe of fertile land stretching from Upper Egypt to Mesopotamia. This region has long been recognised as a birthplace of agriculture, but the new evidence pinpoints the South Caucasus as a specific centre for bread wheat domestication. For Europe, where bread wheat remains a dietary staple, the discovery underscores the continent's deep agricultural roots and the interconnectedness of early farming communities across the continent and beyond.
The research also resonates with ongoing discussions about food security and agricultural heritage. As Europe grapples with issues such as grain supply disruptions and the need for sustainable farming, understanding the origins of key crops becomes ever more relevant. The study adds a layer of historical depth to modern debates about crop resilience and biodiversity.
Georgia’s role as an early agricultural innovator is further highlighted by its parallel history of winemaking, which dates back to the same period. This dual legacy positions the country as a unique repository of Neolithic ingenuity. The findings from Gadachrili Gora and Shulaveris Gora not only rewrite the story of bread wheat but also reinforce the importance of the South Caucasus as a crossroads of early human innovation.
As archaeologists continue to unearth evidence from these ancient settlements, the picture of early European and Eurasian agriculture grows more nuanced. The imprint on a mudbrick, small as it is, carries the weight of millennia of human ingenuity and adaptation.
