Early farmers picked wine over olives, even in harsh climates

Wine has always been more than a drink. In the ancient Middle East, it shaped rituals, fueled trade, and carried a meaning that lasted beyond the harvest. Archaeologists now show that farmers guarded vineyards even when the climate worked against them.

Grapes, unlike olives, required water and care. Yet farmers chose to keep wine flowing, even during the Bronze and Iron Ages, when survival often meant compromise.

Researchers from the University of Tübingen and Durham University studied charred grape and olive remains to uncover the farming decisions made thousands of years ago.

The results reveal a striking commitment to viticulture. Irrigation systems kept vines alive while drier, hardier, olives took second place. These choices suggest wine was not optional but central to culture and economy.

Evidence from seeds

Over 1,500 seeds and wood fragments told the story. The samples came from the Levant and northern Mesopotamia, now stretching across Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Jordan, and northern Iraq.

By measuring carbon isotopes locked in those remains, researchers could see how much water crops received.

The evidence points to vineyards surviving under stress, supported by deliberate irrigation in periods of inconsistent rainfall.

Vineyards in unlikely places

During the Early Bronze Age, water stress followed seasonal rains. Later periods looked different. Grapevines appeared in dry regions where nature alone could not sustain them.

Irrigation filled that gap. By the Middle Bronze Age, intensive watering had become common, proving that farmers chose to push vines into less suitable landscapes. Grapes mattered enough to demand that extra effort.

The research connects those farming strategies to wider cultural patterns. Wine meant trade across distant regions. It carried prestige in rituals and community gatherings.

Olives produced reliable oil, but grapes offered higher returns in both status and exchange. Theoretical models from the study argue that the risks of growing vines made sense because the rewards extended far beyond the vineyard.

Why farmers chose wine

Olives and grapes were key crops, providing both food for locals and exportable commodities that facilitated trade between the Levant and Mesopotamia, and beyond to Egypt, Turkey, and the wider Mediterranean.

“Farmers in the Middle East thousands of years ago were making decisions about which crops to plant and how to manage them, balancing the risk of harvest failure with the effort needed to irrigate, and the likely demand for their products,” said Professor Dan Lawrence of Durham University.

The decisions he describes reflect careful planning and awareness of resource limits. Farmers weren’t passive in the face of climate pressures but adapted with foresight and strategy.

“It reminds us that people in the past were just as smart as people today, and that seemingly modern issues like resilience to climate change and the need to allocate resources carefully have long histories,” Lawrence said.

Wine tied to identity

Viticulture demanded patience. Vines took years to mature. Farmers had to think long-term, not just about the next harvest. This shows a forward-looking mindset that tied future prosperity to present effort.

Wine was more than a crop; it was a commitment linking households to religion, economy, and identity. That commitment made the risks of irrigation worthwhile.

Wine shaped culture

The study also challenges the idea that ancient societies only reacted to climate. Farmers adapted with purpose, skill, and long-term planning.

Grapes did not just survive in those landscapes – they thrived because people wanted them to, even against natural odds.

Resilience here was not only ecological but cultural. Maintaining vineyards meant preserving traditions, protecting identity, and sustaining networks of trade and exchange, even when nature made the task difficult and unpredictable.

Ancient lessons on resilience

The story speaks to today as much as yesterday. To make wine, ancient farmers balanced risk, resources, and resilience, just as modern societies must. Their choices show that climate adaptation is never purely about survival.

Culture, economy, and meaning shape what people protect when conditions shift. Grapes in the Bronze and Iron Ages prove that point with remarkable clarity.

The project brought together Durham’s Department of Archaeology and Department of Earth Sciences, the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, and the University of Tübingen’s Institute for Archaeological Sciences.

Funding came from the European Research Council through Horizon 2020, the German Research Foundation, and the Fritz Thyssen Foundation.

The study is published in the journal PLOS One.

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