In this talk we will examine one of the most transcendental changes in the history of humanity: the transition to agriculture. We will travel to southwest Asia, also known as the Fertile Crescent, to discuss the latest hypotheses about the origin of food production, and the fundamental role that bread and other cereal-based food products played in this process.
We will introduce the discipline of Archaeobotany, which enables the study of the environment, diet and subsistence of the past, and based on this data, will evaluate the way of life of the last hunter-gatherers and first farming communities that inhabited the region thousands of years ago (21,000-7,500 cal. BC). We will learn how bread-like products were first elaborated and how other cereal-based products (beer, porridge..) developed and gradually expanded along with major social and economic transformations linked to plant cultivation.
In conclusion, this talk will provide an updated view on one of the most fundamental process on human history, and reflect on the importance of cultural aspects, like past cuisine and plant-food choices, that are inherently tied to it.