Scientists have sequenced the DNA of an ancient watermelon and discovered that it contains the oldest plant genes in the world. This DNA comes from watermelon seeds that were ground down by Stone Age shepherds in the Sahara Desert.
The 6,000-year-old watermelon seeds re-emerged in the 1990s during an archaeological excavation at a cave site known as Uan Muhuggiag, located in what is now Libya along a stretch of the Sahara Desert.
The dry, saline climate of the caves allowed the seeds to be well-preserved, enabling scientists from the UK to sequence their DNA.
Gene analysis also revealed the seeds of a wild watermelon, one of the oldest crops in Africa, which is believed to have had a terrible bitter flesh. This discovery is considered highly significant as it provides insight into the domestication process of watermelon. The earliest watermelons were not sweet like those we have today, indicating that the diet and lifestyle of ancient people were very different from ours.
Stone Age watermelons could be very bitter. (Illustrative image).
Scientists also found that many shepherds intentionally collected or cultivated this bitter variety of watermelon. They identified genetic mutations that produced the bitter compounds in ancient watermelons, alongside the bright red flesh that is easily recognizable today. However, it remains unclear when in history watermelons began to resemble the fruit we know today in size and taste.
Additionally, it is important to note that there was a time when watermelon seeds were also used for consumption. Experts explain that “Seeds are rich in edible fats, making them easy to preserve and transport. And in some cases, watermelons were primarily cultivated for their seeds“.
