Ptolemaic agriculture, Syrian wheat, and Triticum aestivum

We have identified bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) via influorescence bract phytoliths (plant microfossils) recovered from two 2nd century BC storage jars found in an Egyptian administrative building in northern Israel. This suggests T aestivum is a likely candidate for Syrian wheat, a previosly unidentified cultivar mentioned in 3rd century BC papyri. This wheat was apparently introduced by King Ptolemy II but soon rejected by Egyptian farmers. Equating Syrian wheat with T. aestivum may explain its unpopularity. Unlike the long-cultivated and popular T. durum whose genetic traits produce dense, heavy bread, the genetics of T. aestivum result in a lighter loaf that perhaps was unwelcome as a primary carbohydrate source. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.