Grapes and Viticulture

Today, grapes and viticulture are widespread across all continents of the planet. Their origins lie in western Asia and the eastern Mediterranean. Archaeological science offers unique tools to investigate the beginnings and expansion of grapevine cultivation. Paleoethnobotanical remains of pressed grapes together with residue analyses suggest systematic harvesting, juice extraction, and fermentation for wine making as early as the 5th millennium bce in northern Greece, while residue analyses combined with pottery studies place the earliest indications for wine making in 6th millennium bce Iran. Paleoethnobotany, morphometrics, residue analyses, and DNA studies combined with artifactual (pots, seals, cultivation pits) and textual evidence enhance our understanding of the origins and spread of viticulture and wine making.